Newer technologies help speed up the strong market trends, which is the key to a smooth energy transition. But, fossil fuels are hazardous and damage the environment as well as the atmosphere. Thus, new technologies will help in developing a sustainable future, bring down costs, cut out the competition, and also increase production capacity.
Here are some benefits of these new technologies:
1. Artificial Photosynthesis
This scheme for capturing and storing the energy from sunlight is the chemical process that biomimics the natural process of photosynthesis. It additionally helps to convert water, CO2, & sunlight into O2 & carbohydrates. This new technology has many advantages in solar fuel production:
- The solar energy immediately converts and gets stored with the help of artificial photosynthesis. With photovoltaic cells, the sunlight converts into electricity and then it converts again into chemical energy for storage.
- These byproducts from the reaction are environment-friendly & this new technology is a carbon-neutral source of energy, which could also be used for transportation or at homes.
2. Electricity-Generating Tires
As fascinating as electric vehicles are, electric tires are much more innovative and interesting. This is a new concept that the tire company Goodyear is working on. These would actually charge themselves while in use. Moreover, they would be powered by the friction heat produced by these tires on the road. And it is also claimed that these tires could still charge themselves when they aren’t moving or being used.
3. Carbon Nanotube Electricity
Created by MIT engineers, Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) are tiny carbon atoms that create current by interacting with the liquid around them. In short, CNTs are a typical one-dimensional carbon material. These CNTs are also helpful in generating electricity and can be used to power small electrical appliances instead of using other high-power-consuming energy sources. Thus, CNTs have a lot of potential in energy storage applications.
4. Solar Roof Tiles
Solar roof tiles are a new-age technology that is built with integrated photovoltaic solutions. Usually, solar panels are seen on top of the house roofs. But in this innovative concept, instead of putting panels on the roof, the tiles themselves act as the solar panels. Additionally, this allows for more solar energy due to the increased surface area. Moreover, it eliminates the need for traditional tiles. Thus, solar roof tiles are considered an architect’s delight as well as a customer’s pride.
5. Waste Powered Planes
Till now, planes were powered by fossil fuels which are limited in the environment and have a negative impact on it as well. This new technology was scientists’ ambitious experiment, which demonstrated the ability to power planes through fuels made from ‘wet’ human wastes like rotting food and sewage, wood, and other home wastes, which are then further reacted with catalytic chemicals. This recycled fuel is believed to vanquish airline emissions and reduce waste by 165%. So, this means that about 4% of greenhouse gasses will be annihilated.
While the main challenge is to provide everybody with clean energy technologies, this year and the years coming ahead will focus on solutions targeting livelihoods, smart energy systems, and energy storage.