With all the advancements in technology, there is still one hurdle we are struggling to cross – finding a dynamic source of energy. Since states and municipalities are working to reduce their carbon emissions, they are looking for other resources.
Following are 5 of the most bizarre ways researchers have been able to produce enough energy to power a whole apartment building, for instance. Scroll down to be amazed:
- Body Heat: Yes, your body heat. Your sweaty, straight-out-of-the-gym, too-suffocated-to-be-on-this-train body heat. North Carolina State University has come up with a wearable device that efficiently converts body heat to electricity. Although it will be a while before it is commercially available, it is still something to be fascinated about.
- Feces: Every time you flush, do you think about how much energy you push down the drain? Grand Junction, Colorado, thought about it and they came up with a solution. A rather stinky one, indeed. Eight million gallons of the city’s waste was processed to produce biomethane that was used as an RNG to run 40 heavy vehicles. Talk about power.
- Jellyfish: Believe it or not, these slimy beings could be the answer to all our energy problems. They could, literally, bring electricity to over 2 billion people living in the dark all over the world. Scientists at the University of Tennessee have found a way to produce electricity using chlorophyll, the pigment responsible for photosynthesis. Chlorophyll laced materials can produce the energy required to power devices like LEDs, phones, etc. And jellyfish are the most suitable source of chlorophyll, due to the green algae they eat that also fuels their golden glow.
- Exploding Lakes: There is a reason why these lakes are called ‘Exploding Lakes’, because they explode. Gases from volcanic eruptions get collected at the bottom of the lake in the cold, dense waters and overtime when the pressure goes beyond par, a carbon dioxide explosion takes place that is responsible for the extinction of flora and fauna in every millennium. Scientists have been exploiting methane released from the Rwandan exploding lake, Lake Kivu. Methane is transferred to the shore where it is used as an energy source.
- Vibrations: That California traffic could finally be held responsible for something good – zero-carbon energy production. Vibrations on the road from the many million car trips every day could power enough piezoelectric energy to charge roadside lamps and household devices. Although this area of study is still under much discussion, roughly 13.6 megawatts of power can be produced from a kilometer stretch. Israel, Japan, and Italy are three other countries have begun research on the same.
Which of the above idea would you like to learn about more?
