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Here’s What The Future Of Energy Looks Like

Advances in technology are happening all around us. One of the more pressing global issues that technology has tried to solve is reducing our dependence in fossil fuels. Using solar power, wind power, tidal energy and the like has been a growing trend in renewable energy sources.

But, technologists are becoming more and more innovative and are dreaming up ways to produce energy beyond what exists today. As we look to the future, our renewable energy sources will increasingly become more promising and, without a doubt, more ground-breaking.

Solar Panels

Ok, we promised you something new here and solar panels aren’t exactly a novel concept. But, where we put them is. With plenty of useable space, governments have started to make use of bike paths and areas over water reservoirs to get as much bang for their solar buck as possible. Covering bike paths with solar panels not only generates more power but it also provides some much needed weather protection for the cyclists doing their part to keep the planet clean.

 

Bioenergy

Defined as renewable energy produced by living organisms, bioenergy is a promising contender in the sustainable energy arena. Essentially, energy may be extracted from biomass, organic matter, which has stockpiled sunlight in the form of energy. Many of the resources are derived from the agricultural industry such as:

  • Wood waste

  • Manure

  • Sugarcane

  • Straw

Additionally, some biofuels are being produced specifically for clean energy such as corn, soybeans, willow grass and switch grass. Some countries are even creating energy out of sewage in order to produce clean drinking water and electrical energy.

 

Wind-Solar Combo

Plans to build a massive silo in the Arizona desert are in the works which will combine wind and solar energy in a totally new way. The structure is slated to become the second tallest building in the world, second only to Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.

Here’s the gist: build a tower as wide as four football fields, fill it with water and shoot that water out the top where it will come into contact with dry, desert air. As the water and hot air mix, the dry atmosphere will become heavier forcing that air back down through the tunnel creating enough wind power to spin the silo’s internal turbines thus creating energy.

Energy from Outer Space

Our planet is relatively petite compared to its place in the universe. That being said, loads of solar energy is passing us by – energy that we could be capturing, beaming back down to earth and pumping into our communities.

Seem farfetched? Well, not as far as the Japanese are concerned. Scientists in Japan are in the planning stages of sending one huge satellite outfitted with hundreds of mirrors that would be launched into space in order to capture and shoot down solar energy that would otherwise go to waste. It’s like having an outfielder in space. It’s in the very early stages of development, but with widespread social support from Japanese citizens concerned with greenhouse gases and their effect on the climate, it’s looking like this is one futuristic idea that may actually be brought into the present.

Climate change and our reliance on fossil fuels, which won’t last forever, is forcing scientists to think outside of the box to keep the world’s ‘engine’ running. Based on these examples, the future looks bright.

About the author

Nick Hastreiter

I write about the future of business. I approach this by interviewing founders, CEO's, and other game changers to share their vision for the future of their industry.

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