A Solar Punk Future with Mat Yarger, Co-Founder of DigitalMRV

May 3, 2023

Mat Yarger, co-founder of DigitalMRV, is a data strategist focusing on environmental sustainability. He shares insights on how digitization can transform climate action and the vital role of data security in building trust. Mat highlights the potential of blockchain technology for enhancing transparency and integrity in carbon markets. He discusses innovations like Project IOTA and machine learning's impact on climate data accessibility. Ultimately, Mat envisions a solar punk future where data empowers effective sustainability solutions.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Mat's Unplanned Tech Journey

Mat Yarger joined the military accidentally after his truck broke down on the way to an Air Force recruiter.
He got a top-secret clearance job involving tech training, which sparked his interest in technology and cybersecurity.

INSIGHT

Climate Data Needs Transparency

Climate is the most open sector for new technologies due to high transparency need and greenwashing concerns.
Digitizing environmental data can build trust and solve issues of inaccurate emissions reporting.

INSIGHT

Digitize Carbon Verification Process

Current carbon emissions verification is analog and slow, requiring on-site visits and delayed credit issuance.
Digitizing standards and automating data collection at facilities can speed certification and increase reliability.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

This episode of Over the Edge features an interview between Matt Trifiro and Mat Yarger, co-founder of DigitalMRV. At Digital MRV, Mat develops strategy and solutions around the use of data for environmental and energy systems, including smart cities and critical infrastructure.

In this episode, Mat describes how data can help us overcome climate change, what systems need updating, and the future we can work towards together.

---------

Key Quotes

“With data, there are just so many different things you can do. It applies to every sector as we're transitioning into digitization and automation. We see the huge uptick of AI right now and everything around that. But data security and trust in data is really paramount to building the right systems moving forward.”

“One area that was the most open to [new tech] because there is a high, high need for transparency right now, is climate. What I'm doing is still very tied to everything I've done in the past: like cybersecurity, protecting the data, compartmentalizing it, enabling trust in the data, those kinds of things. But the space that is the most ready to scale that out is climate and environmental impact.”

“The big problems are how we can take that analog process, and look at the standards that are out there. Let's digitize all those different standards, or pick the ones that have the most impact and progressively digitize them. How do we implement them into the facilities that are getting built or ready to transition and earn these carbon credits or new incentive models?”

“I'm sure you're familiar with the cyberpunk future of how things can go and Blade Runner and all that kind of stuff. But I think if we do this right, we've got this really cool solar punk future where it's super high tech, super futuristic, we've got trees growing on all of our buildings and we're sharing data, and I'm giving you energy from the energy that I'm creating from my solar panels, and it's just a really fluid utopian society like I know that's super optimistic and positive, but I think if we do it right and we get the right people involved and we don't step on the common person and their data, then it's achievable.”

---------

Show Timestamps:

02:18 Mat’s journey into tech

05:27 How Mat got into his field

07:46 How tech ties into climate

09:45 The problems Mat’s trying to solve

12:57 What is the carbon market?

13:54 Circular emission tracking

14:52 Why data is useful

18:38 About Project Iota

24:48 About Project Alvarium

29:06 How Mat’s business was formed

35:17 What Mat sees for the future
37:30 The climate we’re striving for

--------

Sponsor:

Over the Edge is brought to you by Dell Technologies to unlock the potential of your infrastructure with edge solutions. From hardware and software to data and operations, across your entire multi-cloud environment, we’re here to help you simplify your edge so you can generate more value. Learn more by visiting DellTechnologies.com/SimplifyYourEdge for more information or click on the link in the show notes.