The best sources of energy in the future will be solar power, and harnessing power from rivers and oceans. Please read on, because these sources of energy will be utilized differently than you are probably thinking.
SOLAR POWER
Solar power has great potential in the future due technological advances being made continuously. When you think about solar power in the early 21st century, large, expensive, crude looking panels come to mind. In the future, the panels that convert energy will be integrated into products that serve another purpose. For example, solar films will be integrated in roofing, siding, and windows to make them energy producing building products.
Another great stride in solar power will come in the form of energy producing satellites. These solar arrays will orbit earth and can orbit in a way that will maximize their exposure to the sun. Also, cloud cover will not be an issue with orbiting solar arrays. The solar energy captured can then be beamed down to electrical substations via microwaves to be utilized by mankind. Pretty neat!
RIVER POWER
In todays society any power from rivers comes from dams which are very environmentally intrusive. A single dam can affect thousands of acres of land, and dramatically alter the regions ecology. Just look at salmon populations as an example. There is a better way. There are miniature turbines that can be placed on river bottoms being developed. The turbine would generate electrical energy as the river flowed past the turbine blades, much like a child’s pinwheel. This alternative is eco-friendly and can be used throughout a river system instead of just at key points, as dams are.
OCEAN POWER
The whole principal behind this form of energy is tidal forces. Due to the rising and falling of sea levels there is an opportunity to capture water at high tide and essentially hold it until low tide. When the water level falls during low tide there is an opportunity to take advantage of the differing water levels. The water at the high tide level is then run through turbines to the low tide level. This process is very much like a modern day dam. There is potential in this method, but at the moment it is very capital intensive unless the geography is on your side. By this I mean that building miles of concrete barriers in the ocean is very expensive. If you had a natural inlet, less construction would be needed. In my opinion this energy option is the most intrusive on the environment from the options I have discussed. Hope this information has helped, and have a great day!
