Can geothermal power get as mainstream and accessible as solar and wind energy? According to the Swedish company Climeon, with their newest technology, it can – and for an even better price than the above. Geothermal power is a great solution to our energy problem: it’s flexible, it provides energy whenever we need it and it’s not that bad for our environment. It's green, adaptable and cheaper than wind and solar. Sounds perfect, right? Current technology, however, limits its applications. In this article, you can read how Climeon claims to overcome these problems with their technology. Geothermal power can be the solution to our energy problem Geothermal heat is a sustainable alternative to natural gas. When using geothermal heat, no greenhouse gasses are released, making this an excellent renewable energy source. Geothermal energy is nothing new. Did you know that geothermal heat has been used on our planet for more than 100,000 thousand years? There are plenty of examples, such as the ancient Roman baths. In 2013, there was a utility-scale geothermal capacity of more than 11,700 MW on a global level. A record, because it was bringing forth more than 68 billion KWh. That is enough for the household electricity of more than six million households. The World Energy Council forecasts in a research paper that “geothermal energy can supply more than 8% of our earth's power supply, a factor that is likely to propel the revenue-generating potential of Geothermal Energy Market over the years to come.” Why aren’t we all using geothermal power , then? Geothermal power sounds more than great, but as said, with current technology we can’t use this geo energy to full power. The warmth of the earth lays in the ground. In some places, such as Iceland, the heat is just below the surface of the ground. This country can therefore use an enormous amount of geothermal heat to generate electricity. In other countries, like France or the Netherlands, geothermal energy lays much deeper, which means that the geothermal energy will cool down too much to generate electricity. Geothermal power plants are depending on very hot water. Unfortunately, only the places in this world like Iceland or Indonesia (with her volcanic activity) can use geothermal energy right now. Not very accessible, right? The smart use of low-temperature heat So, one of the problems of geothermal energy is the needed amount of very hot water, which often only can be used in places where the geothermal heat lies just beneath the surface. The Swedish company has a solution to this problem: its technology can make use of low-temperature heat, which – according to Akshat Rathi, “opens up economically viable geothermal power to much more of the world.” Half of all the energy in the world will be wasted as so/called low temperature heat. Climeon, founded by and CEO Thomas Öström (who was recently named Swedish Person of the Year in the category Innovation), makes smart use of the low temperature heat from geothermal heat sources. The Power Unit of Climeon pumps with low pressure, so less energy is needed to convert the heat into clean electricity. The unites themselves can convert the heat of the earth into energy. The more energy a customer needs, the more unites can be placed. Customized energy from geothermal energy can therefore be supplied! Also, Climeon’s units can use heat from other sources, too. What do you think of the water used for cooling hot steel in steel mills - which is otherwise thrown away as waste water? Climeon´s technology can turn this waste into renewed energy. Cheaper than energy from sun and wind Another big advantage of Climeon's smart technology is the price: it can be cheaper than wind and solar energy! The precise price of the electricity generated by Climeon does differ. It depends on various factors, such as the type of project and the access to heat. In some cases, Climeon’s electricity-generating units have provided electricity for €40 ($45) per MWh, says Joachim Karthäuser, the company’s chief technology officer, to Quartz. That is cheaper or just as cheap as the lowest price for wind or solar energy, at least in continental Europe. Climeon's smart technology can be offered at such low prices, because The Climeon Heat Power units are designed to store as little energy as possible as little as possible. A unit is approximately 280 cubic ft and can store up to 150 kW. With 150 kW, more than 150 families in Europe can turn on the lights, watch television and do other activities for which they need power. Cha ching! 12.5 million dollar in funding Right now, Climeon operates in five countries. The Swedish company is worth almost four hundred million euros (or 450 million dollars) since the founding in 2011. But the company will probably expand in no time – they will be funded for 12,5 million dollars by the Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a fund backed by Bill Gates. The mothership of Climeon, Baseload Capital, will get this funding: they mainly focus on owning and operating the steel plant from which the company Climeon operates. That’s because many steel plants want the innovate technology that Climeon invented, but don’t want to own a power plant. They get the cash injection because Breakthrough Energy Ventures believes that the company is capable to cut more than five hundred million tons of greenhouse gasses - annually. That’s very impressive! Where are the opportunities for geothermal heat? With the “extensive global attempts to eliminate hazardous fuel emissions, geothermal energy market is on its way to establish itself as one of the most dynamically evolving energy markets of recent times”, according to the report Geothermal Energy Market trends research and projections for 2017 - 2024 by Global Market Insights . Climeon is now one of the biggest players in town: and for sure, one to watch. Climeon seems to have significant potential in improving the chances of success in the global race to zero emissions! https://www.whatsorb.com/solution/energy/solar

No, we are not actually trying to create a second sun on the surface of our planet. Although, to be fair, this project of China’s Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak is attempting to do something that comes rather close. To further research in nuclear fusion, the Chinese have used their nuclear reactor to produce temperatures required for realising nuclear fusion on earth. A sustainable way  of realising nuclear fusion Using the reactor, hydrogen could be heated to temperatures of more than 100 million degrees Celsius, which is sufficient to produce nuclear energy. A huge feat, even if it may sound trivial to some. In fact, a sustainable way of realising nuclear fusion is the key to providing our earth with a seemingly endless supply of clean energy - as nuclear energy is known as a particularly sustainable source of this basic and much needed global resource. A small caution has to be made; as science is not yet quite ready to actually transform fusion technology in a durable, reliable source of energy. This development, however, would prove to be a major breakthrough in finding a way of harnessing the unlimited nuclear power, much like stars harness their power naturally.   Heat up Hydrogen How it works? Well, researchers used this ‘artificial sun’ to heat up hydrogen, until it crossed the threshold of 100 million degrees Celsius - after which it turns into plasma. Such extreme temperatures are a requirement for actually triggering nuclear fusion by letting two so-called nuclei ‘fuse’ to create a heavier nucleus. Through this process, huge amounts of heat and energy are released. To see just how much, look up at the sky at night - see all of those bright spots that we call stars, or even the sun? You are directly staring in the face of nuclear fusion. The whole ‘nuclear’ addition might make some people feel uneasy. After all, it is quick to trigger memories of disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima. This is, however, something different: nuclear fission, which is the opposite of fusion. Here, the nuclei of atoms split in a fixed chain reaction. While this process also releases huge amounts of energy, it has the unfortunate by-product of radioactive waste . Nuclear fusion, on the other hand, is considerably cleaner.   As such, it is not hard to see why so many scientists are eager to find a way of finding a safe, clean method of nuclear fusion for the benefit of energy generation. This Chinese ‘sun’ might be a step in the right direction, there is still much left to discover and research before it can be implemented as a possible solution for our growing energy needs: not only do we need a sustainable fuel source, the reactors should also be stable for more than just a few seconds, and, also very important, the technology should be suitable for significant scaling up to make an impact on the commercial level.   So it definitely is time to focus our energy on those questions - and guarantee a virtually limitless supply of energy in the future! https://www.whatsorb.com/category/energy

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