Stranger than fiction -- energies of the future
The term “alternative energy” has been around for a long time, and surely the words “solar panels” and “wind turbines” no longer sound futuristic. But the fact of the matter is that emerging energy technologies are coming out every day, and sometimes with a strange twist.
Here are four of the oddest and most extraordinary alternative energies to date. From kites to entire islands, the future of replacing fossil fuels is getting creative.
High-flying wind turbines and kites
At an altitude of 30,000 feet, the wind power is 20 times greater than what it is available on the ground. So manufacturers at Sky WindPower are attempting to capture this potential energy by sending up giant wind turbines high into the air that could convert it to electricity to be used back on earth.
It has been estimated that converting merely 1% of all the high-altitude currents could produce enough power for everyone on earth.
Researches at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have proposed the idea of what they call a “laddermill.” To capture these powerful wind currents at high altitudes, proponents have suggested flying what they call “kite planes” up in the air.
Combining the ascension characteristics of kites with the descension characteristics of airplanes, the laddermill creates a looping movement of kiteplanes held together by an extremely strong cable that is connected to a generator that captures the produced energy.
Energy from footsteps
You may have heard of the concept of capturing energy from stationary bikes and using it to power appliances, but what about creating energy from something a little less stressful, like walking?
The alternative energy company POWERleap is trying to do just that with their invention of a technology that generates electricity from human foot traffic.
Imagine entire stretches of sidewalks or floors of dance clubs creating energy while you walk or dance all contributing to decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels.
Energy islands
Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is a method for generating electricity by using the warm surface water of tropical oceans which has been heated by the sun. This warm water heats low boiling point fluids (like ammonia) to create steam which drives a heat engine. The colder, deeper water is then pumped up to the surface to cool down the warm fluid enabling the process to be repeated.
The main challenge of OTEC is to do this process efficiently, a point that the company The Energy Island Group is attempting to solve. What the Energy Island does is create a floating island that houses the technology of OTEC and combines it with other energy options such as wind turbines and solar panels to make the whole process more productive and efficient; the island even has a water desalination plant.
These floating islands could produce an estimated 250 MW of electricity, or enough power to supply all the energy use in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. And if multiple islands were moored together, the output could be drastically higher.
Image: ©Mafic Studios, Inc.
Solar power from space
Along the same lines as the high-flying wind energy, the utility company PG&E hopes to tap solar power in space where the available energy is eight to ten times greater than on earth.
The concept is extremely advanced, in which the partnering solar company Solaren would generate the power using solar panels in earth’s orbit and then converting it into radio frequency energy for transmission to a receiving station somewhere in the U.S.
Image: ©Mafic Studios, Inc.
The good news for developers is that real estate is free all the way up in space. The bad news is that getting everything up there is tremendously costly.
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