Renewable energy is the wave of the future. It’s something which we’ve started to see much more of in recent years and we’re definitely going to see it increase in the future too. As our non-renewable sources of power start to dwindle, it’s the ability to harness and use other sources of energy effectively which will decide whether or not humanity as a race keeps going.
Off shore wind farms exist all over the world, solar panels are common sites on homes and public buildings and vast hydroelectric dams churn out almost as much energy as some power stations. In Iceland, geothermal energy is the norm. This harnesses the heat from underground and though it produces a lot of energy it can only be used in certain areas. That’s the thing with renewable energy, it’s very area specific. You can have as many windmills as you like, if there’s no wind you’re not going to get any electricity. Solar panels are always going to generate more electricity in countries which see more sunshine.
Currently solar panels need to be separate entities. They use a form of photosynthesis to produce a small amount of energy from sunlight. A company known as Oxford Photovoltaics, which was set up by the University of Oxford have found a way of creating solar glass. This works in the same way as solar panels but instead of being separate entities you’d literally be able to create entire buildings out of this solar glass. It’s coloured glass but the company can print it in pretty much any colour. The most efficient is black (which absorbs light) followed by green, red and then blue which is the least efficient (probably because it’s much lighter).
Imagine a skyscraper built with solar glass. Each window and glass panel would generate its own electricity and help to keep the buildings lights on! Any excess could be pumped into the national grid, actually bringing in some money!
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