5 Uncommon Clean Energy Sources That Have Not Been Exploited

International organizations such as the IEA (International Energy Agency) and the oil industry BP estimate that by 2040, global energy demand will increase by 35% to 40%. Most of this consumption will come from developed countries. It is also expected that around 37% of electricity generation will come from renewable sources, particularly wind and solar. Currently, almost 23% of the electricity consumed on the planet is generated from these types of sources.

There are different systems and innovations that allow us to harness energy provided by wind, sunlight, rainwater, the earth’s interior, or ocean waves. However, there are also other natural sources that allow for the generation of inexhaustible energy without harming the environment. These sources are much more unusual and have yet to be exploited. They are known as passive technologies because they are activated without our even being aware of it.

Thus, the waste we generate, human movement, heat from crematoriums, and others can produce energy.

These green alternatives could help in the future transformation to free us from fossil fuel dependency, thus improving living conditions on the planet.

Clean energy sources we have not yet imagined or exploited:

1. Kinetic energy: each step taken can light up the city

Humans generate kinetic energy, the energy produced by a body as a result of its movement. Based on this fundamental fact, there are currently innovative ways to produce energy. One of them would be to transform kinetic energy into electricity.

Here are some practical examples:

The city of Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. There, special bicycle wheels have been created that allow electricity to be collected by pedaling and braking. This energy is then transferred to the city’s power grid when parked in special racks.

Meanwhile, at Stockholm Central Metro Station in Sweden, a system has been implemented under the tiles that captures the heat generated by the footsteps of over 250,000 travelers. This heat is then transformed into energy through a process called electromagnetic induction. This energy is supplied to the factory located just opposite the station, saving up to 25% of energy for the entire building through the metro’s ventilation system.

The same tile system is also installed in various pedestrian crossings in the city of London. At night, it helps power some of the city’s electrical systems, such as street lighting, traffic lights, and advertising panels.

2. Energy produced by crematoriums

For the past 5 years, cremation has also been used as a source of green and sustainable energy.

It all started in Sweden, in the small town of Halmstad. Following an investigation into a crematorium in the town, it was determined that it was polluting too much. That’s when a way to recycle the heat from the ovens and harness that energy was designed.

This process, called «heat capture,» soon became a novel energy option in different parts of the world, such as Denmark and the United Kingdom.

In a small town in Worcestershire County, Redditch, the heat is used to heat a public pool.

In Austria, new offices belonging to the Central Cemetery Company of Vienna, located very close to the crematorium, use the heat from the ovens as an energy source to heat the water used for the building’s heating system.

3. Garbage can be turned into energy

Garbage is also included among the innovative ways to generate green energy. In the last decade, various studies have been conducted on the subject, and different technologies have been developed to generate energy from waste.

This waste management reduces environmental impacts through the treatment and control of liquid and gaseous emissions.

In countries like Uruguay and Norway, a system is used so efficiently that the European country even imported waste from other nations. Meanwhile, in Maldonado, a province in Uruguay, they ensure the production of more than 1,500 MWh annually thanks to this process.

Between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an energy plant was built with the sole objective of increasing the number of homes connected to the power grid, using the resources available in this body of water. It is estimated that there are about 300 billion cubic meters of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and 60 million cubic meters of methane (CH₄).

4. Algae and jellyfish

In the sea, we can find unexpected sources of energy, such as jellyfish and sea algae. Jellyfish are not the only marine creatures set to become a source of energy. In the case of sea algae, more specifically, microalgae have the potential to convert sunlight into energy.

Some of them store this energy in the form of natural oils. This way, under the right conditions, algae can generate a large amount of oil that can be used as biofuel.

Development of biomechanical floating devices

A group of scientists from the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden is developing a series of biomechanical floating devices that will have the ability to interact with microalgae themselves, obtaining a good dose of energy from bacteria with 100% photosynthetic capabilities.

Moreover, it is projected as a source of biotechnology with bacteria capable of generating clean energy even without a nearby light source.

5. Chocolate and coffee: other natural fuels

Arthur Kay, an entrepreneur from the United Kingdom, is one of the main players in the 100% clean fuel movement. He aims for the iconic red tourist buses in London to fill their engines with coffee.

His company, Biobean, uses coffee grounds from major international coffee companies, such as Costa Coffee, and transforms them into a type of gasoline. In cities like London, where improving air quality is crucial, this idea could be vital for the health of its citizens.

Nestlé is trying to produce fuel from cocoa husks.

To make chocolate bars, not the whole cocoa fruit is needed; the husk is wasted. For this reason, Nestlé Spain, together with the energy services company Bioenergy Iberica, will utilize this element to make fuel.

This will be possible thanks to the implementation of biomass boilers, which will heat the husks and harness their calorific power to create a biofuel that will roast the cocoa used for chocolate. Nestlé Spain aims to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050, and with the cocoa husks, they have taken a giant step forward.

ALEJANDRO BETANCOURT

Etiquetado energy