Everyone uses energy. To keep ourselves alive, we need a certain amount of energy to provide for the human need for food and to do work. Energy, especially electricity, is essential to provide water, food, health care, education, employment and communication. But where does this energy actually come from? And how can we improve it? Problems in the current energy supply The most substantial amount of energy comes from fossil and nuclear fuels, which currently face serious difficulties, such as security of supply, economic affordability, environmental sustainability and disaster risks. In order to cope with these problems, we are looking for a solution to increase renewable energy technologies. For example, in recent decades there has been rapid growth and spread of renewable power plants. Among them, wind generators are the most widespread type of renewable energy. This trend continues and is a positive development. However, this could be different in the near future. There could be a saturation of windy areas inland. For this reason, the current research programmes are aimed at improving the power capacity per unit of land. This translates worldwide into the development of several wind turbines with improved nominal capacity. What are we doing worldwide? Worldwide, people are investigating what could be improved. Since the beginning of 2000, researchers have been looking at offshore installations. At these places located far enough from the coast, wind energy sources are generally larger those on land. Wind energy is stronger and more regular. This allows for more constant use and more accurate production planning. In this context, an entirely new renewable energy sector has emerged in the scientific community: AWE. What is AWE? Awe means Airborne Wind Energy . It is a new way of transforming wind energy. Airborne Wind Energy focuses on capturing wind energy at considerable heights, at least 500 meters! Machines that "capture" this type of power is referred to as Airborne Wind Energy Systems (AWES). The wind at this height is stronger, and the systems provide higher efficiency than the conventional wind turbines . Moreover, they are cheaper, less visible and can be used in places that are difficult to reach. This new way of transforming wind energy can reach layers of wind at enormous heights, utilising strapped wings or aircraft and drones. These are not accessible to traditional wind turbines. Research into these Airborne Wind Energy Systems started in the 1970s, but development has accelerated in the last decade. This new software of wind transformation was developed by researchers from the Carlos III University of Madrid. The Dutch startup Kitepower The focus on wind energy at high altitude is increasing. Researchers are exploring what is possible. The Dutch start-up Kitepower, founded by a research group at TU Delft, is developing an AWES based on kites to generate energy at high altitude. A 100kw system is now being designed that, for example, can replace diesel generators in isolated areas. Producing, transporting and installing wind turbines on land and at sea costs a lot more time and money compared to airborne wind energy solutions. Wind at an altitude of 200-450 meters is stronger and more constant than the wind that captures windmills. Kitepower is developing a power generating kite system for this source of renewable wind energy in the air. These kites are quiet, simple to install and easy to use. Kitepower uses less material than ground-based turbines, and it takes less than an hour to install them. Their kites float through a large part of the air, resulting in very powerful wind speeds. Most people rely on diesel generators, with a high dependency on expensive and logistically demanding diesel supplies. Kitepower offers a more durable, flexible and economical solution. With its logistical flexibility, Kitepower provides an excellent alternative when the conventional power supply is damaged. Kitepower focuses on the transformation of energy in the world. They want a world where renewable energy is accessible and affordable for everyone. Their development is still ongoing and needs some refinement. Hopefully, we will hear more about this in the near future. https://www.whatsorb.com/category/energy

The hydrogen revolution has been announced before – but now it really seems to be happening. The end of natural gas extraction in Groningen offers new opportunities. Are the Netherlands finally really for hydrogen? "Yes, my friends, I believe that water will one day be employed as fuel, that hydrogen and oxygen which constitute it will furnish an inexhaustible source of heat and light. Water will be the coal of the future!" You can read this quotation in The Mysterious Island, a novel by Jules Verne, written in 1876. Since the beginning of the nineteenth century by the discovery that by adding electricity to water hydrogen and oxygen are released (so-called electrolysis), and that the reverse process, bringing together of hydrogen and oxygen, water and electricity (the fuel cell effect), people dreamed of hydrogen and the arrival of the hydrogen revolution announced. A perfect energy storage "I believe this is really going to happen,” says director of the Dutch television series VPRO Tegenlicht Rob van Hattum (64). He has been working on this subject since he was just twenty years old. Van Hattum has made three documentaries about hydrogen, his last one being a movie released in 2004. Now, fifteen years later, hydrogen is still a hot item. “Solar and wind energy are difficult to store. And that is a problem, because you are dependent on nature, you have to have a buffer. Wind farms are now being shut down, because they can´t lose the energy. In hydrogen (liquid or in gaseous form) you can store energy perfectly." The hydrogen games Japan already proved that it is possible: the 2020 Olympic Games are already named 'the hydrogen games', because the entire energy supply will run on hydrogen. What about Holland? There is already a lot of experimenting with hydrogen in the Netherlands, by large and small parties. Gasunie has started a pilot project near Veendam in Groningen. An installation is being built in which, for the first time on a larger scale, sustainably generated electricity, originating from 8500 solar panels, is converted into hydrogen (and energy for the installation itself). An indispensable part of a delta plan The realization that hydrogen can play a role in the future energy supply is growing in the Netherlands. The Hydrogen Coalition, a group of 27 environmental organizations, knowledge institutions, governments and companies - including network operators and heavy industry (including Tata Steel and AkzoNobel) - called on the government last year to ‘give priority to hydrogen as an essential building block for the energy transition'. The message: invest big in development and innovation of the entire  hydrogen chain: hydrogen is an indispensable part of a (necessary) delta plan for Dutch energy supply. There are a lot of ideas, for instance to create a large island in the North Sea and put windmills down there. The hydrogen produced on site can be pumped to the mainland via existing gas pipelines, where it is stored underground and further distributed, to industry, to petrol stations, to homes. All kinds of opportunities The Netherlands hás to get rid of natural gas. Right now, the solution appears to be (expensive) heat pumps and insulation. But by no means all houses can be heated like this, says Van Hattum, and why should we when it can be done with hydrogen. The gas infrastructure is already there, after all. That gas network offers all kinds of opportunities. Not only is Groningen the gateway to the European gas trade, it can also become the hydrogen connection point in Europe. The north of the Netherlands has a good chance to take a leading role in the upcoming hydrogen revolution, with the Wadden Sea and the North Sea - where the winds are wild - as a hinterland, with the existing gas infrastructure and the gas storage fields and with the knowledge gained in sixty years of gas extraction and transport. The hydrogen revolution is close, and that is a fact. Will Van Hattum be right, and is this really going to happen? Watch his documentary ‘Deltaplan Waterstof' (Dutch language) on VPRO Tegenlicht to find out more on this topic. {youtube} https://www.whatsorb.com/category/energy

In a much needed re-invention of wind turbines, Vortex Bladeless has introduced a concept that has definitely made waves in the energy industry. Its unique concept has been hailed as a technological leap forward and a resolution in the generation of wind power, that will not only make wind energy simpler and more effective, it will also ultimately be more environmentally friendly. Vortex induced vibration resonant wind generator The official description of Vortex Bladeless’ product is quite a mouthful: a vortex induced vibration resonant wind generator. It is a way of generating energy using a vorticity phenomenon called Vortex Shedding. In layman’s terms, this is the generation of energy from the spinning motion of air. This basic principle uses cylindrical turbines, which will allow for the development of a spinning whirlpool or vortex when wind passes through it. As the cylinder swings back and forth in the wind (“oscillates”), it will be subject to sufficient force to find itself vibrating quite heavily, all while remaining fixed to an elastic rod. Using a linear generator, that is quite similar to the one used for harnessing wave energy, this kinetic energy can be captured and used.   Clear benefits and differences In fact, some have argued that the Vortex is not quite a wind turbine per se, as it more closely resembles other forms of renewable energy generation. Either way, it has been deemed promising enough to be awarded a grant under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation fund. One of the most obvious selling points is that it provides a clean source of energy, as it uses advanced technology to harvest energy from an aeroelastic oscillation movement.   Yet at the same time, its largest advantage in comparison to other forms of wind energy would have to be its reduced costs: it requires no gears, bearings or other expensive parts that could easily break and need expensive replacement. Simultaneously, it does not require any oil or intensive maintenance. In fact, costs for manufacturing, operating and maintaining the Vortex will be way down. Adding to the previous point, it is worth noting that the lower costs also extend to the costs of its effect on the environment at large. The construction and development of this source of wind energy requires much less energy and takes up less space. Production is simple and swift, with a minimal impact on the surrounding area. It is quiet, blends in, does not require contaminants and will not harm birds or in any other way impact the ecosystem it is placed in - according to the official Vortex website. Easy to put in your backyard or on your worksite Not many people would be happy to place a  wind turbine in their backyard, especially in densely populated areas. It takes up a massive amount of space and would lead to obvious complaints from those living around you. Yet you will find that it is very easy to place a Vortex Bladeless in your area. It is perfectly suited for on-site energy generation through its light weight, simple installation, self-running capacity and limited space required. This is why the manufacturer has been targeting end-consumers, making it available for grid and off-grid operations, as well as offering hybrid models that allow for integration with, for instance, solar panels. The costs for generating energy are, according to one of the founders, brought down by 40% when compared to conventional forms of wind energy. It is capable of reaching a conversion efficiency of 70 percent - which definitely not excessively high and somewhat lagging behind when compared to their bladed brothers, but a good proposition nonetheless. The actual potential of the Vortex Bladeless There are quite a few researchers who question the actual effectiveness of the Vortex Bladeless. Aside from the somewhat limited conversion efficiency, as oscillating cylinders are not capable of converting much of their energy into electricity, there is the question of feasibility of on-site use. In order to generate sufficient energy, the pole-shaped turbine would have to be of a significant size, while an aeronautics professor at MIT questions its claim of being silent. “ The oscillating frequencies that shake the cylinder will make noise. It will sound like a freight train coming through your wind farm,” she remarks. Does this mean that the concept is flawed? Not necessarily. Most innovations are met with trepidation and concerns when first introduced. It is up to the community to come up with ways of building on the existing idea to improve it further. That is how we ended up with massive wind and  solar farms as they are. Why not apply this to innovative solutions that simply remove the blades from the wind turbines?   https://www.whatsorb.com/category/energy

It works like a rechargeable battery, which is charged by the sun Sunlight in a bottle? A major discovery in the field of solar fuel could make it possible to store solar energy for years to come. It is hard to believe that we are still using fossil fuels that contribute to climate change. We have a sun bombing our planet daily with abundant, clean, renewable energy. However, fossil fuels do have an often overlooked advantage over solar energy, which has long prevented solar energy from really popping up: they are fuel. Solar energy, for all its benefits, does not come in the form of fuel, which essentially means it cannot be stored easily. This could now all change, following a breakthrough in the development of a fuel that can capture and save the sun's energy. Scientists say that this fuel can store that energy for up to 18 years, reports NBC. Call it 'sunlight in a bottle'. Researchers in Sweden have detected a specialised liquid that operates like a rechargeable battery. The sunlight shines on the device, and the fluid absorbs it. At a later stage, that energy can be released as heat by merely adding a catalyst. This remarkable discovery could be how we power our homes by 2030. How to get sunlight in and heat out? "A  solar thermal fuel is like a rechargeable battery, but instead of electricity, you put sunlight in and get heat out, triggered on demand," explained Jeffrey Grossman, who is in charge of the MIT lab working on the project.  It is incredibly easy. The liquid consists of a molecule of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen that reacts to the presence of sunlight by shifting its atomic bonds. The particle, fundamentally, transforms the molecule into a cage that "captures" the energy of the sun. Surprisingly enough, this energy content is retained even after the liquid itself has cooled to room temperature. To release the energy, pass the liquid over a cobalt-containing catalyst, returning the molecules to their original form. As a result: energy from sunlight comes from the cage as heat. "And when we come to extract the energy and use it, we get a warmth increase which is greater than we dared to hope for," says Kasper Moth-Poulsen, one of the team members. A rechargeable device that does not lose capacity Early results have shown that once the liquid has passed by the catalyst, it heats up with 113 degrees Fahrenheit. But researchers believe that with the right mixes they can elevate the output to 230 degrees Fahrenheit or more. Noted today, the system can double the power capacity of Tesla's reputed Powerwall batteries. This has drawn the attention of countless investors.  Even better, researchers have tested the liquid through as many as 125 cycles. The particle has shown almost no degradation. In short, it is a rechargeable battery that continues to take charge without losing much capacity over many applications. What is it being used for? The technology is intended to be applied for domestic heating systems, like powering a building's water heater, dishwasher, dryer, etc. Since the energy comes in the form of fuel, it can be stored and used even when the sun is not shining. It should also be possible to  transport energy through pipes or trucks.  If everything goes as planned - and it seems to be going much better than expected so far - researchers estimate that the technology could be available for commercial use within ten years. Given the rapidly escalating climate change crisis, this could not happen fast enough. https://www.whatsorb.com/category/energy

A new fuel, made entirely out of elephant grass, recently made headlines after announcing to have developed a potentially major breakthrough solution in combatting climate change. The company is NextFuel, and their home base is Austria - and their fabrication process includes dried elephant grass that is fed into a sealed rotary drum.   It was officially presented at the COP24 climate summit in Poland, aiming to help countries in their   attempt to decarbonise their heavily polluting industries, including the transportation and heat sectors. How is NextFuel made? NextFuel, as the product is called as well, is made by dried elephant grass that is put in a sealed rotary drum. At this stage, all oxygen is removed and the material will be divided into fuel and waste. This only takes some thirty minutes. All waste (mainly gasses) is re-used in the manufacturing plant for the generation of heat of power locally. After that, the fuel part is densified and pressed into briquettes. Next, they will be moved to a cooler. At that stage they are ready to be sold and used in the production of heat or electricity. NextFuel says that these briquettes are perfectly suitable for use in a coal plant, even without having to significantly alter the processes or machines used.   What are the benefits of NextFuel? The main difference? This form of fuel is nowhere near as polluting as the ones that are typically used in coal plants. Or as NextFuel’s chief executive, mr Stefano Romano, proudly claimed: “ For the first time in the history of mankind, we have the ability to produce a cheap and clean copy of fossil fuel.” In an interesting example, NextFuel has calculated that if a cement factory runs on coal-fired power and heat, having this replaced by their alternative fuel will lead to a massive reduction in their annual carbon footprint of 105%. And no, this is not a typo and we do know how percentages work - it will actually render the process carbon negative. Romano explained the workings of this: “ Elephant grass needs a lot of CO2 to grow, and also stores some of this in its roots below ground. In that way, it captures so much carbon from the atmosphere that it can make our entire process carbon-negative in a matter of months. ” The importance of cleaner fuels Stern warnings that we will not hit the targets as set in the  Paris climate agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals have already been given. A large portion of this shortfall can be attributed to the lack of progress made in these highly pollution transportation and heat sectors. This requires quick action on the side of companies active in these industries.   Thankfully, quite a few of them have taken up the challenge. Take British Airways, proponent of the widely polluting aviation industry. They came up with the Future of Fuels challenge, that offers a £25,000 prize to those who come up with an innovative, low-carbon jet fuel; that is capable of powering a long-haul commercial flight for up to 300 customers, while generating no or negative emissions. BA is also working together with the renewable fuel startup Velocys, with the ultimate goal of finding a jet fuel that can be made from household waste , killing two birds with one stone: recycling effectively and cutting back on emissions. Their competitor Virgin Atlantic is working on similar initiatives, including one that fuels jets with recycled industrial waste gases. It is a low-carbon alternative, co-developed by the innovative firm LanzaTech, that has the capacity to partially power a commercial flight from London to Orlando, Florida. In doing so, it cuts back 70% of its emissions when compared to regular jet fuel. Where will it lead? The signs are promising, with various large polluters clearly taking their responsibility and doing their part in creating a fuel that will reduce, if not completely remove, their carbon footprint. As for NextFuel, they are facing a bright - and clean - future as well: production of their innovative clean fuel has been scaled up, following funds received from the European Union.   After that, NextFuel is hoping to power its first two large-scale projects at the end of next year - a cement plant in Africa, and a manufacturing facility in South America. If those implementations are successful, expectations are that a large number of facilities and producers will move to these kind of fuels. Not only will it help them meet the stringent targets set, it will also clean up their production in a significant manner. Reason enough to give the elephant grass a try. https://www.whatsorb.com/category/energy