What is an Environmental Twin?

Introduction

In a world where environmental challenges are becoming increasingly complex, the need for innovative solutions to manage and monitor environmental threats is more critical than ever.

Teren therefore introduced the environmental twin concept. But what exactly is an environmental twin, and how can it revolutionize the way organizations navigate the dynamic landscape of environmental conditions?

Roots in The Digital Twin

Digital twin technology, or virtual replicas of physical assets, have existed for years in the manufacturing, AEC and industrial sectors. Creating detailed 3D models of buildings and infrastructure, digital twins have been used to optimize operations and maintenance of assets in the ‘built’ world.

The limitation of digital twins has been that they are most often built on historical and static datasets. While this can be practical for post-event analyses, industries often struggle to find practical applications for them in their business models and workflows.

The Environmental Twin: Digital Twin 2.0

Expanding on the digital twin concept, Teren has developed a digital twin that models the intersection of the built and un-built world — ie, evolving environmental conditions. This expanded approach is defined as the Environmental Twin. 

As Teren’s CEO Tobias Kraft puts it:

Teren’s environmental twin platform is designed to deliver accurate digital replicas of changing environmental conditions. It achieves this by seamlessly fusing remotely-sensed data, real-time climate intelligence, and ecosystem insights. The result is a comprehensive and dynamic representation of the environment that enables organizations to stay ahead of emerging threats.

Why Environmental Twins Matter

The environmental twin is a more dynamic digital replica that allows industries to not only accurately model their assets, but also see how they interact with surrounding environmental conditions, in real-time.

“Using earth science data like soil, hydrology, terrain, vegetation, and weather, we’ve created a digital replica of the earth and how it interacts with our critical infrastructure, in real-time. It’s really something that has never been done.” explains Kraft.

With climate-related risks ever increasing, the environmental twin will be an essential tool for addressing complex environmental and climate-related challenges.

The Benefits of an Environmental Twin

• Predictive modeling 2.0, powered by machine learning: Predictive analytics has been a game-changer with digital twins, that use historical geospatial data trends to forecast future events, such as predicting flood zones. In the environmental twin concept, machine learning technologies are applied to automate the analysis of vast datasets quickly, efficiently, and repeatably. These insights allow companies to stay ahead of trends and optimize risk management strategies in near real-time.
• A dynamic replica of the earth to explore in relation to your assets: As a web-based interactive map, the environmental twin is a 3D visualization with a 4th element integrated: time. Sometimes referred to as a 4D model, this approach allows users to explore and analyze spatial data dynamically. Businesses can use these maps to provide customers or stakeholders with valuable insights, improving engagement and decision-making.
• Move from reactive to proactive risk mitigation: Armed with near-real-time predictive modeling, organizations can switch from reactive response to proactive risk mitigation to protect their assets.
• Speed, precision and accuracy, without sacrificing quality: The AI-powered fusion of various data sources ensures a detailed and accurate representation of the environment, available at speed and scale never seen before. 
• Strategic Planning & Operational Efficiency: Armed with insights from the environmental twin, organizations can develop long-term strategies for sustainable environmental management and asset resilience, and streamline their operations and respond swiftly to changing conditions.

Who Uses Environmental Twins?

Applications of the Environmental Twin extends far beyond a singular industry.

• Pipeline operators, entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining thousands of miles of natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines, leverage Environmental Twins to identify, monitor and mitigate risks associated with environmental changes, ensuring the integrity of their critical infrastructure. 
• Land management organizations, armed with the insights provided byEnvironmental Twins, are not only proactive in preserving ecosystems but also play a pivotal role in responding to natural disasters. By leveraging real-time data and hazard assessments, these organizations can swiftly deploy resources and implement strategic measures to mitigate the impact ofevents such as wildfires, floods, or hurricanes on the land they oversee. 
• Renewable Developers, utilizing Teren’s Hydrology and Vegetation Data Suites, are able to screen and process their backlog of areas-of-interest (AOIs) for environmental threats based on publicly-available data, empowering their GIS teams to prioritize projects at a fraction of the cost of needing to hire an Earth Scientist in-house.
• Departments of Transportation (DOTs) harness the power of Environmental Twins to identify and manage risks such as landslides and flooding to enhance road and infrastructure resilience in the face of changing climates. Leveraging Environmental Twins helps prioritize resources, while reducing the impact of environmental factors on roads and highways. 
• Engineering firms, at the forefront of designing and implementing infrastructure projects, rely on Environmental Twins to optimize planning and construction processes, mitigating environmental risks throughout the project lifecycle. 
  

Conclusion: A Call for a Paradigm Shift

Teren’s Environmental Twin solution is not just a platform; it’s a paradigm shift in the way we approach digital twins and climate resilience. By harnessing the power of technology and data fusion, organizations can navigate the complexities of evolving environmental conditions with unprecedented precision and foresight.