1. Space Based Solar Power
Finally, in an effort to bring the original alternative energy source roaring into the new century, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency achieved a giant step forward for the possibility of satellite-based solar farms when they successfully transmitted 1.8 kilowatts of electric power to a pinpoint location using microwaves. Although the notion of installing solar panels in space has been around for decades, and was regarded technologically (if not commercially) possible in the 1970s, dependable transmission of the electricity gathered — arguably the most crucial aspect of the process – has always been treated with suspicion.
Although the technology may not come into practical use for some years, its promise is definitely amazing. Satellite-based farms in geosynchronous orbit can farm sunlight consistently, unhindered by weather conditions. JAXA predicts that a single Earth-based receiver might provide up to one gigawatt of electricity, the same as the typical nuclear reactor.
Perhaps more so than any other item on this list, satellite-based solar arrays genuinely have the potential to offer more clean energy than humans could ever conceivably require, given that more solar energy reaches the surface of the earth in a single day than it could use in an entire year.
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2. Nuclear Molten-Salt Reactors
Despite being a terrific source of inexpensive electricity, nuclear energy has earned a poor name mostly because to two words, those words being “Chernobyl” and “Fukushima.” While the possible devastating downside of proliferating nuclear power plants led to a dramatic fall in use over the previous few decades, the next generation of nuclear reactor attempts to remove fears of a meltdown completely.
While the technology was conceived of in the 1960s, molten-salt reactors – which are powered by liquid fuel, rather than the conventional fuel rods – are coming back thanks to the efforts of a four-year project by a European consortium of research institutes dubbed “Samofar” (Safety Assessment of the Molten Salt Fast Reactor). In examining the safety of the technology compared to normal nuclear reactors, a laundry list of benefits were listed in calling for a prototype to be constructed by 2020.
3. Hydrogen Producing Algae
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In another example of a blossoming technology that may be applied for a cheap, personal fuel cell (which does not include urine), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is working to design a mechanism for increased photosynthesis. Not manufactured, but of the natural sort, employing tiny algae.
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a nice little algae that may theoretically be regarded more plant than animal. Though it shares some genes that are connected with human activities, it is photosynthetic. Like other similar species, it creates hydrogen, and researchers have taken the first step towards a technique to encourage it to make more. Quite a little more. In a nutshell, scientists have narrowed down the channels by which it is thought electrons flow through the algae from six to two. The objective will be to inhibit the less productive channels and boost it in the desirable ones, resulting to greater hydrogen generation.
4. Quantum Smart Grids
Among the numerous useful uses we may anticipate from the future first generation of quantum computers, we…well, let’s face it. They haven’t precisely given us much about what to anticipate from them, other than that they can execute computations billions of times quicker than normal computers. And furthermore, a quantum processor won’t exactly function with your laptop. We do know that rather than the “bits” used by classical processing (which are like switches, set to either 1 or 0), quantum computing employs “qubits” - which, in addition to the 1 and 0 settings, may be set to a “indeterminate” quantum state. This enables for numerous things, such the aforementioned lightning-fast processing, and unbreakable cryptography.
Now, consider an electric grid. Many big networks draw from a mix of resources, including both conventional electricity and renewables. How much is pulled, and from where, is governed by supply, demand, and consumption. Enormous quantities of data transmission is involved in monitoring such consumption, finding the most effective ways of distribution, keeping track of resources, and a million other things to guarantee that a minimum amount of power is wasted and supply is maintained constant.
In 2009, the U.S. approved billions in financing for “Smart Grids” in every state except Alaska. These optimise this process utilising contemporary communication technologies to build a “renewables superhighway.” A Los Alamos National Laboratory research team has proposed a solution to the significant issue of data security in implementing these Smart Grids – a “network-centric quantum communication” card, which will “(meet) the challenging simultaneous latency and security requirements of electric grid control communications, which cannot be met without compromises using conventional cryptography.”
While this is simply one possible application for quantum cryptography, it might be an important one. Large scale usage would pour money into additional research and development of the next generation of quantum devices.
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