10 incredible green technologies that could shape the future

8/8/2019 10 Incredible Green Technologies That Could Shape the Future

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10 Incredible Green Technologies That Could

Shape The Future

by ThomasDavie 3 comments

As consumption of fossil fuels and other, damaging non-renewable energy

materials reaches its greatest extent, its becoming increasingly obvious that

sustainable power will play a significant part in shaping (and possibly saving) the

future of the planet. Heres our list of 10 of the most promising new green

technologies some can be implemented on a small scale, others have grand

hopes attached to them. Whatever the scale, we hope they will feature in our

daily lives soon

10. Concentrated Solar Power

Image by langalex

A recent survey, co-authored by Greenpeace, found that by 2050 nearly one quarter of theworlds energy could be generated by Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). CSP uses mirrors tofocus sunlight onto water, producing steam that turns giant turbines, generating energy. Buildingthese sorts of projects in many countries is simply not a viable option for obvious reasons, but inthose places lucky enough to possess sunny climes, such as Spain, Morocco, Algeria and Egypt,its proved a big hit. Who knows what the future holds but both the US and UK governmentshave expressed tentative interest in the idea; a more likely scenario is that the latter two might


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begin to purchase energy from these countries, both increasing sustainability and helpingdevelop their growing economies further.

9. Cross Wind Bridge

Image via New Ecologist, by Tiago Barros and Jorge Pereira

This is one of the coolest ideas youll see all year. The Cross Wind Bridge, developed bydesigners Tiago Barros and Jorge Pereira, generates energy by harnessing wind power frompassing cars. The natural wind velocity inside the tunnel is amplified by the movement ofpassing cars, which helps to rotate 2,188 lightweight panels, generating energy that is thenpassed through an electromagnetic band. The resultant energy is then used to light up the bridge

at night, as well as illuminate the local area. We think these fantastic bridges should beimplemented all over the US.

8. The World Community Grid


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Image byMiki Roventine

Now lets have a think what do most of us use our computers for? Unless you work at NASA,probably checking Facebook, running word documents, watching DVDs Imagine how muchpower is left unused, sitting unexploited. IBM has come up with a small idea that pertains togrand designs: what if we hooked up every computer in the world to a single grid and used thespare power in the background to collaboratively tackle scientific research projects that benefithumanity? To give an you an example, it would take the Harvard Department of Chemistry and

Molecular Biology 22 years to complete the necessary calculations for the Clean Energy Project,but using our combined spare computer capacity, this task could be completed in a mere twoyears. Nearly half a million people have already signed up, so get involved(worldcommunitygrid.org) and turn your computer over for the benefit of humanity.

7. Invisible Streetlights


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Image via calfinder, courtesyJongoh Lee

Some of the best green ideas find ways of supplementing and working with nature, rather thansimply exploiting it. These elegant streetlights, created by Jongoh Lee, mimic the earths naturalprocess of photosynthesis to create a sustainable source of lighting that works hand-in-hand withthe environment it illuminates. Modeled after tree branches, they sit inconspicuously amongst theleaves soaking up sunlight during the day with their solar panels, and emitting light at night.Easily installed by wrapping their flexible body around a branch, they put out a soft, warm lightand are a fantastic way to both enhance the natural beauty of a public space, as well as make it

safer for the public without damaging the planet.

6. Nanosolar


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Image byFernando Tomas

We all know we should take more responsibility for the environment and building a sustainablefuture for the next generation, but putting this into practice is another story. It may be a taddepressing, but its probably true that one of the most powerful ways to encourage the use ofeco-friendly technology is to make it more attractive than regular energy sources and cheaper.Nanosolar has gone a long way towards achieving this by reducing the cost of producing thePower Sheet solar panels from $3 to 30 cents per watt. Theyve achieved this using an innovative

technology which coats metal sheets, as thin as aluminium foil, with a microscopic layer ofprinter ink containing minuscule solar cells. Nanosolar also has big plans for how they mightimplement this technology in the future, so watch this space.

5. Solar Curtain Walls


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Image via archithings, byKonarka

Solar energy developer, Konarka, has come up with an ingenious way of eliminating the oftenawkward and unwieldy nature of solar energy panels. Power Plastic are sheets of extremelyflexible, very thin solar panels which can be quickly and easily attached to virtually any surface most obviously the roofs and even walls of urban office buildings. The effect is not dramatic,but as ever it is the more low-key, easily implicated ideas that provide some of the best hopes forreal change in the future. Imagine thousands of miles of urban wall-space draped withunobtrusive, paper-thin solar paneling and producing thousands of megawatts of sustainable,eco-friendly energy. Glorious!

4. Blights


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Image by Vincent Gerkens

Working along similar lines to the invisible streetlights, this innovative product by VincentGerkens is a combination of a blind and a light that stores light during the day, and illuminatesyour interiors at night. Making use of flexible solar panels, fitting over the surface of standardVenetian blinds, Blights handily function as both regular blinds and lights. Unobtrusive enoughnot to call attention to the fact you might be a die-hard eco-crusader, and stylish enough to givesparkle to any room, blights are a great way to greenify your living/working space.

3. Porous Sidewalks


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Image viaNorth Jersey

This may sound crazy, but a 132 home development in Salem, Oregon has already been builtusing almost exclusively porous sidewalks and roads. Specially designed porous concrete allows90% of rainwater to dissipate back into the surrounding soil, dramatically reducing the negative

effect storm-water runoff can have on surrounding water systems. The flexibility and strength ofthe porous pavements also minimizes freeze-thaw effects and requires less road salt in winterconditions. Plans are already in place to increase the proportion of new homes with porousdriveways.

2. Sonic Water Purifier


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Image courtesy CSIRO

There are nearly 1.2 billion people around the world without regular access to clean water. TheSonic Water purifier may sound like something out of the Jetsons, but it is in fact a handy toolthat allows water to quickly and easily be purified. Ultrasound waves are beamed into the liquid,blowing up the cellular walls and carbon bonds of contaminants, leaving fresh, clean watersuitable for drinking. Waterrecycling at its very best, we say although the machine isnt themost portable of gadgets, it does the job. Scientists are now working on building bigger and morepowerful purifiers that can deal with large tanks of water, or even sewage.

1. Enhanced Geothermal Systems

Image by Wim Malfait


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Geothermal power usually requires naturally occurring water and rock porosity to channel heat.Enhanced Geothermal Systems (ESG) enhance or encourage geothermal energy from rock thatis dry and non-porous, creating an energy resource where there was none previously. Whilstnatural cracks and pores do not allow for geothermal flow, ESG injects cold water into the rockat high pressure, increasing the fluid pressure in the rock and enhancing its permeability. This is

pretty good (and major) news for all of us, particularly when you consider just how much rockthere is inside the planet. There are EGS systems currently being developed and tested in severaldeveloped countries, including France, Australia, Japan, Germany, USA and Switzerland withthe largest being a monster 25 megawatt facility in Cooper Basin, Australia, which has thepotential to generate 5,00010,000 MW. As such, ESG looks set to become a massive andincreasingly influential technology in the future.

10 incredible green technologies that could shape the future

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