Groundbreaking Ideas in the Search for Greener Energy: Renewable Energy Articles: Eco20/20

Groundbreaking Ideas in the Search for Greener Energy

Alternative energy is one of the most exciting fields of modern science. Worldwide experimentation and invention is turning out new technology at a head-spinning rate in the search for a cheap, effective clean energy source that will never run out. Some of the attempts are, of course, ineffective but many more are taking shape every day that will revolutionize renewable energy.

Fuel cells promise to be one of the most important sources of energy for our future. As such, much research is taking place to improve upon their design and functionality. So far, the cost of platinum has prevented fuel cells from being truly possible for commercial use. This may soon change, however. Researchers at Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences have just recently discovered a new form of platinum that is not only cheaper but also cuts down on the amount required for fuel cells by as much as 80%. They hope to modify the reactivity of this new platinum to increase that number by an additional 10%. This would greatly reduce the cost of fuel cell production, making them much more affordable to consumers.

Solar energy is also seeing some tremendous gains. A joint endeavor between Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has yielded a semiconducting material coated with caesium that has the potential to double the efficiency of solar cells. This new material has the ability to convert both the heat and light from the Sun to energy and promises to make solar energy's cost compare favorably to that of oil. A U.S. Department of Energy funded program has discovered another invention, Quantum Dots. These selenide nanocrystals transfer heat energy quickly, which will allow solar cells to harvest more energy before the particles cool.

Many more inventions are impacting the field of wind energy. One of these, the airborne wind turbine, has the ability to harness high altitude winds, which are often stronger and more dependable. These turbines would transfer D.C. electricity to the ground by a tether wire. The energy would then be converted to A.C. electricity and made available for use. The power potential from tropospheric winds is around 870 terawatts, much more than the 17 terawatts we currently need globally. Another wind power advance, the Fuller Wind Turbine, is based on a design by Nikola Tesla and is produced by Solar Aero of New Hampshire. This turbine consists of one moving part inside a screened housing. It is practically noise-free and removes the danger to birds and bats that has long been a problem with traditional turbines. Even more attractive is its operating cost. The Fuller Wind Turbine provides wind power that is comparable in cost to coal power.

With advances such as these, green power will surely become cheaper and more widely available, making it possible for regular people to kick the fossil fuel habit and rely on better alternatives. Hopefully, this exciting time in green energy research will continue to pick up steam and we will see increasing numbers of improvements along with exciting new ideas. If so, we can finally stop harming our environment and power our lives in a much greener way.