Renewable Energy: Can New Technology Offer Hope?

2nd December 2022 - Last modified 18th October 2023

20 years of Alto. 20 years of science. #16

By Pete Cussell PhD, Science Writer

As part of Alto Marketing’s 20 year celebrations, we’re looking back at some of the most important advances in science over this time in our blog series “20 years of Alto. 20 years of science.” Today, we’re looking at renewable energy to see what we can learn from the past to improve the future.

In November 2022, leaders from around the globe gathered in Sharm El Sheikh for the COP27 climate conference. It’s been a tumultuous year that has seen hurricane Ian inflict destruction in Florida, the summer drought and heat waves in Europe, and devastating monsoon flooding in Pakistan. There are widespread calls for more action to be taken to avert climate breakdown amid a growing sense of emergency.

Over the years, the COP conferences have drawn collective pledges from governments to phase out the use of coal and other fossil fuels, and placed pressure on those in power to set more ambitious emission targets. Too often though, these promises haven’t been kept.

Politics aside, there is a beacon of hope, manifested by the resolve of scientists and engineers to develop green energy solutions that can simultaneously yield enough energy and be economically desirable enough to counter mass fossil fuel use.

As part of our blog series “20 years of Alto, 20 years of science”, I thought it would be apt to investigate the developments that we have seen in clean energy technology over the past two decades. During this time, we have witnessed opinions shift and technology advance exponentially. In this blog, we’ll take a look back over some of the past developments in renewable energy and think about the current state of play. Can we grasp some positives amongst the often anxiety-inducing news that we are all too familiar with?

Old ideas, new innovations

As you might expect, the demand for a rapid transition to clean energy is driving a variety of new developments and innovations in the renewable energy sector. Many of these new innovations centre around traditional renewable energy sources. While renewables such as solar, wind, and hydroelectricity have been around for a long time, recent innovations have maintained their position as the most popular green power technologies. Moreover, they provide various competitive advantages, and in many cases, build upon existing infrastructure. Set out below are some of the innovative ways in which traditional renewables are being strengthened by new technology.

Solar energy

Solar energy is the most abundant energy resource on earth.

In the past, the light-harvesting materials available had a limited  ability to convert light into energy, which resulted in poor conversion efficiency. Over the last 20 years however, technological advances have made a significant impact upon solar energy generation.

You may still think of solar panels as heavy, clunky and inefficient. But today, solar panels and photovoltaic cells (devices which convert light energy into electricity) are lighter, efficient and more cost-friendly than ever. In fact, in the last 10 years alone, solar panels have decreased in cost by an average of 85%! [1]

Some recent innovations in solar technology include:

• Luminescent solar concentrators – These devices are designed to concentrate solar radiation energy. Comprised of high refractive index materials and fluorescent dye or quantum dots. They can capture sunlight and concentrate it along their edges, where it is intercepted by small photovoltaic cells and converted into electricity. The fluorescent coating also emits light during the night, giving rise to new solar applications such as self-sustainable signages [2].
• Flexible solar panels – Industrial printers can now manufacture solar cells as thin as paper. The printed solar panels are flexible, produce up to 50 watts per square meter, are inexpensive to make, and have a high level of conversion efficiency. This technology could help usher in wider applications for solar panels.
• Low-carbon silicon wafers – One of the concerns with traditional solar panels has been the large carbon footprint in their production, offsetting the benefits of their green energy. Now, low carbon silicon wafers have been developed that are made using the Czochralski crystal growing technique. Through this, manufacturers can massively reduce the carbon footprint of solar panel components to enable more sustainable solar energy generation [3].

Wind energy

Wind may be the oldest energy source utilised by humans but innovation in this field has never stopped. Over the last 20 years we have seen continuous advancements in blade design and developers have also devised designs for innovative offshore and even airborne turbines to reduce the need for land space. The sustainability of blade materials remains a key challenge for the wind power industry, driving new bladeless technologies. Some examples of progress in the field include:

• Vertical axis turbines – Several different designs for vertical-axis wind turbines have made it onto the market. These consist of a tower coupled to a subsea construction that is either tethered to the sea floor, or a to a boat-like keel construction. These are appropriate for withstanding hurricane-strength winds, permitting wind energy harvesting in previously inaccessible ocean areas.
• Larger, lightweight blades – In the US, researchers have developed a 206 meter rotor for land-based turbines. With larger blades, more kinetic energy from the wind can be harnessed and used to generate electricity. These blades are also less stiff than normal turbine blades allowing them to hold 12% more wind, regardless of speed [4].

Hydro power

The ability to harvest energy from moving water is not new. Hydro power offers advantages over solar and wind power as it is more predictable and reliable. Harnessing power through hydroelectric dams, or through ocean-based solutions that use tides, currents, and waves, ensures that a comparatively higher energy density can be achieved. Recent years have seen a rise in small-scale, low-cost innovations, as well as novel ways of harnessing water for power. Some of these include:

• Ocean thermal/salinity energy conversion – New technology has enabled the extraction of energy through the thermal gradient created between the surface and deep water. Another similar innovation can convert the salinity gradient between seawater and river into usable energy [5].
• Wave Energy Converters – A start-up company in Ireland has developed a pioneering method to leverage wave power using a small but scalable system. Wave energy converters consist of buoys on the water surface connected with linear generators resting on the seabed. The moving waves transfer energy to the buoys to generate electric power. These systems can withstand harsh seas, enabling offshore energy companies and local coastal communities alike to generate sustainable wave energy [6].

New technologies

A number of novel techniques for green energy production have also emerged over the last 20 years. Contemporary technologies like AI and big data are helping researchers to seek new approaches to green energy production, and have provided enhanced grid analytics and management. Such technologies have given rise to virtual power plants and smart integrated energy networks.

AI and big data

From power consumption forecasting to predictive maintenance of renewable energy sources, AI is beginning to prove its value in the renewable energy sector. As an increasing amount of power feeds into the grid from variable, and sometimes less reliable renewable energy sources, it is becoming increasingly important to predict capacity levels and ensure grid stability and efficiency.

As renewables account for an increasing share of grid power generation, grid management becomes ever more important. And since we can’t always rely upon favourable environmental conditions, the phasing out of reliable energy generation from sources such as coal can make the grid less stable, and susceptible to blackouts.

Today, thanks to improved internet of things (IoT) sensor technology, solar, hydro and wind generators can provide an enormous amount of real-time data, allowing AI to predict capacity levels. Furthermore, AI can provide enhanced solar/wind/tidal forecasting to improve efficiency in power harvesting and optimise power grid use. With AI enabling a more efficient and reliable grid, there is a significant cost saving. In time this will help drive down the cost of renewable energy production, which can be passed onto consumers [7].

Green Hydrogen

Hydrogen gas exhibits the highest energy density of all fuels, and is highly beneficial since it produces virtually zero greenhouse gas emissions. Until recently though, hydrogen hasn’t been seen as a viable alternative to fossil fuels due to the huge CO₂ emissions released during its production (traditionally from splitting methane). In recent years however, developments in renewable energy and fuel cells have pushed the shift to green hydrogen: H₂ gas produced using simple electrolysis.

Now that large-scale production is possible, green hydrogen could represent a keystone fuel to facilitate the global transition to sustainable energy and net zero emission economies. In fact, green hydrogen featured in a number of emissions reduction pledges at last year’s COP26, and stood out as a popular means to decarbonise heavy industry, long haul freight, shipping, and aviation.

The “Green Hydrogen Catapult”, a UN initiative to bring down the cost of green hydrogen, has already made plans to double its goal to get more green electrolysers online by 2027. Furthermore, The European Commission has adopted a set of legislative proposals to decarbonise the EU gas market by facilitating the uptake of renewable and low carbon gases, including green hydrogen, to ensure energy security for all citizens in Europe [8].

We are still in the early days of green hydrogen technology however, and in order to improve its appeal and mass uptake, the cost, storage and production efficiency all need to see improvements. This will no doubt improve with time, and hopefully it won’t be long before we see hydrogen powered planes, trains and automobiles break into the mass market.

A promising outlook for the future

The last 20 years have given rise to advances in renewable energy technologies that have enabled green energy to integrate into many more everyday aspects of our surroundings, while minimising the need for mass fossil fuel use. During this time, green technology has become ever more cost-effective, efficient, and in terms of production, environmentally friendly.

To tackle climate change, individuals and institutions are increasingly turning to clean and sustainable energy. The challenge ahead though, lies in making renewable energy cost-competitive with fossil fuels. As we have already witnessed, economies of scale can solve the problem of cost, and hopefully this will soon come with newer technologies like green hydrogen. In any case, policy makers should continue to back small- and large-scale green energy projects, so that green energy can become more viable and accessible to all.

References

(1) Deloitte. Energy transition trends report 2022. Available from: https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/energy-and-resources/articles/global-energy-transition-trends-2022.html  

(2) Clean energy institute. Luminescent solar concentrator. Available from: http://www.cei.washington.edu/lesson-plans/luminescent-solar-concentrator/

(3) Norwegian Crystals. Available from: https://www.crystals.no/products

(4) AZOCleantech. Latest Developments in Wind Harvesting Technology. Available from: https://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=1625#:~:text=Aeromine%20Technologies%20has%20developed%20a,similar%20to%20racing%20car%20airfoils

(5) US Energy Information Administration. Hydropower explained. Available from: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/hydropower/ocean-thermal-energy-conversion.php#:~:text=Ocean%20thermal%20energy%20conversion%20(OTEC,surface%20water%20of%20the%20ocean.

(6) Seabased. Available from: https://seabased.com/the-technology

(7) Ernst & Young. Why artificial intelligence is a game changer for renewable energy. Available from: https://www.ey.com/en_uk/power-utilities/why-artificial-intelligence-is-a-game-changer-for-renewable-energy

(8) World Economic Forum. What is green hydrogen and why do we need it? Available from: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/12/what-is-green-hydrogen-expert-explains-benefits/