Increasingly modern energy technology contributes to creating better awareness among people about sustainable development.

There are many innovations shaping the renewable energy sector today. Many industries are changing and focusing on creating a more sustainable environment, from solar power, energy storage, electric vehicles to innovative heat pumps, hydrogen technology, smart grids and many other alternatives to coal, oil and gas.

With the development of renewable energy, people can move away from using fossil fuels. This article looks at the long-term innovations that are shaping a new energy future, cleaner and more sustainable.

What is sustainable energy?

Sustainable energy is understood as a form of energy that is consumed at a negligible rate compared to its supply. At the same time, the side effects caused by this energy source, especially the negative effects on the environment and people, can be controlled and managed.

Sustainable energy systems serve human needs in the present but do not affect the ability to meet human needs in the future. The energies considered sustainable today come from the following sources: Water, waves, tides, wind, sun, geothermal, biological, etc.

Technology contributes to the promotion of the sustainable energy industry, designed to improve the efficiency of energy generation and use, bringing significant advances.

What sustainable innovations will transform the energy industry?

With the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the transformation of Additive Manufacturing (AM), automation and other technologies will move towards a cleaner future.

This process can be easier thanks to many advances that help control and monitor infrastructure, as well as improve the environment by replacing old equipment with newer, better solutions.

Technological advances allow for easy monitoring and measurement of necessary indicators, creating opportunities for the whole world to build a more sustainable environment. Below are some of the trends that are shaping the sustainable energy industry of the future.

1. Solar powered ship

Thomas A. Edison, one of the greatest inventors in the field of electricity generation, said: “I would put my money into the sun and solar energy. It is a powerhouse! I hope we don’t have to wait until we run out of oil and coal to solve that problem.” This has partly demonstrated the huge potential of solar energy.

Although it is one of the most popular renewable energy sources, solar energy is still not as optimally utilized as fossil fuels.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that 29% of the world’s electricity is generated by renewable energy. Meanwhile, surpassing biomass, solar energy is the third largest renewable electricity technology after hydropower and onshore wind.

Many people agree with Edison and are trying to find more uses for this energy source, such as solar-powered boats. This mode of transportation can run all day without needing to be recharged.

For example, the Energy Observer, which set sail in 2017 from Saint-Malo, is 30m long and 12m wide, with a top speed of up to 14 knots and 200 solar panels on board.

The Energy Observer ship is capable of operating on solar energy, water or sails when needed – Photo: Internet

2. Solar panels from food waste

There are constant innovations in the field of solar energy, including solar panels made from food waste.

This revolutionary material is created using light-emitting particles from discarded fruits and vegetables. It was designed by an engineering student, Carvey Ehren R. Maigue. For his idea, Carvey Ehren won the James Dyson Award – an international design award that celebrates and inspires the next generation of engineers.

3. Bladeless wind energy

With the development of new technology, there are more and more advanced solutions for renewable energy sources, such as wind turbines.

Everyone knows or has at least seen the popular types of wind turbines that are very large in size. But perhaps few people know and have seen the new generation of wind turbine designs, which do not need rotating blades.

Vortex Bladeless, a Spanish startup, has come up with the idea for this design. An elastic rod fixes the 3-meter-high bladeless turbine vertically to the ground. It is made to sway or oscillate within the range of wind speeds and this vibration will generate energy.

Bladeless turbines can be used in urban or residential areas where there is not much extra space. Therefore, there is no need to choose too large areas to build them like conventional wind farms.

4. Lithium glass battery

The importance of batteries in the renewable energy transition is enormous. The Lithium-ion battery was invented by John Goodenough, an American professor and solid-state physicist.

Goodenough is known as the “father of the Lithium-ion battery”. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this invention. Not stopping there, he also contributed a lot to the development of Lithium-glass batteries that have a capacity that increases with age and have an energy density twice as high as Lithium-ion batteries.

These batteries have a much longer life than conventional batteries. They also operate at lower temperatures, charge faster, cost less, are safer (non-flammable) and have the ability to store more energy over time.

5. “Self-healing” tires

Goodyear, one of the world’s largest tire companies, is developing an innovative concept for electric vehicles that aims to reduce tire change times. The brand has unveiled a “revolutionary self-healing tire that can adapt and change to meet individual mobility needs.”

Imagine a tire that can adjust itself to the weather, road conditions, or how the driver wants to drive. Goodyear’s new innovation uses a biodegradable tread compound, supplemented with special, extremely durable capsules.

6. Solar tree

Instead of cutting down trees for energy, why not plant more? That is the question when it comes to building a green, sustainable environment.

Researchers at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have created a prototype tree that collects solar, kinetic and thermal energy from the surrounding environment, indoors or outdoors.

This tree can store energy and convert it into electricity to power small devices such as LED bulbs, humidifiers, thermometers and mobile phones. The artificial energy harvesting tree can be replicated indefinitely, placed in gardens and other natural settings.

Solar trees can be grown in campuses with not too large areas – Photo: Internet

7. Electric aircraft

One of the most carbon-intensive human activities is air travel.

Along with the solar panels made from food waste mentioned above, “wet” waste such as rotting food and wastewater could also be used to power planes. In the future, planes could use fuel derived from waste, such as wood and household waste reacted with catalytic chemicals.

The climate impact of this fuel would be less than that of traditional fuels because it is derived from plants, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. According to Popular Mechanics, the amount of wet waste currently used could replace 20% of all aviation fuel, while also removing it from landfills, reducing methane emissions.

8. Solar Energy 3.0

We often hear about industrial revolutions, like Industry 5.0, which focuses on collaboration between humans and robots, but have you ever heard of solar 3.0 – the revolution in solar energy?

This is an innovation in solar technology. There are two main types of solar cells used for solar energy. Solar cells collect photons from the sun. They cause an electrochemical reaction that generates electricity.

Another main type of solar cell is the thin-film cell. This cell uses perovskites, a material with a crystal structure similar to the mineral calcium titanium oxide.

Perovskites represent the next generation of solar energy, known as solar 3.0. Thin-film cells use perovskites, which are made up of layers of photovoltaic materials embedded on a substrate made of glass, metal or plastic.

The typical problem with solar cells is that they have an efficiency of less than 30%. Silicon semiconductor solar cells typically only achieve 20-25% efficiency. Using perovskites, on the other hand, could increase efficiency and provide more energy for electricity.

9. Carbon nanotubes

Students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) have discovered an innovative material, consisting of carbon nanotubes, that can generate electricity by absorbing energy from the surrounding environment.

Tiny carbon particles generate electricity by reacting with the liquid around them. According to the research results, the liquid, an organic solvent, pulls electrons from the particles and creates an electric current that can be used to operate robots or create chemical reactions at the micro- or nanoscale.

10. Self-cooling building

Green buildings are proving to be an essential part of urban design, in an effort to mitigate climate change and consume less energy and water. But what about buildings that don’t need air conditioning to cool down?

In nature, termites create towering mounds of earth, ventilated by a complex network of tunnels. Zimbabwean architect Mick Pearce has used biomimicry to create a natural cooling system that relies on nature by modeling the ingenuity of termites.

The result is that the architecture uses cooling air at night and heat during the day to achieve 90% passive climate control.

The Eastgate Center in Zimbabwe, the world’s first self-cooling building, is kept at 27 degrees Celsius thanks to a completely natural ventilation and cooling system – Photo: Internet

Conclusion

Some of the sustainable innovations mentioned above can turn the energy industry into a green industry because the materials are used rationally, creating a balance between humans and nature.

Sustainability forces humans to consider what we are using, reuse and find potential in food waste or take advantage of available elements from nature.

The continuous development of various technologies supports and promotes each other. Therefore, digitalization can make the energy industry cleaner by helping humans discover more sustainable solutions for the energy industry.

Digitalization is growing and seems to be an inseparable part of life. With the support of technology, digitalized and sustainable energy will continue the future energy industry.