Sankalp Wagh, B.Tech EE 2nd Year
The world’s hunger for energy is rapidly increasing. While increasing production to match this demand, the world produces carbon dioxide that is released to the earth’s atmosphere will be there for around a hundred years duration. This increased content of Carbon Dioxide increases the warmth of our planet and is the main cause of the so called “Global Warming Effect”. One answer to global warming is to produce, transport, store and consume energy in new and more efficient ways that do not emit carbon dioxide. Nanotechnology may be able to offer us newer technologies which can help us achieve this task.
When modified at the nano-scale, matter begins to demonstrate entirely new properties, also on a macroscopic scale. It can become stronger, lighter, have improved viscosity, increased stability or better thermal and electrical properties. This makes Nanotechnology a key enabling technology both to exploit traditional energy sources in a more efficient, safe and environmentally friendly manner, and to tap into the full potential of sustainable energy sources such as biomass, wind, geothermal and solar power. It also offers solutions to reduce energy losses in power transmission, and to manage complex power grids with dynamically changing loads and decentralised feed-in stations.
Here are some of the promising technologies which when deployed on a large scale can change the face of our energy scenario
However there are a few obstacles with large-scale deployment of nanotechnology enabled power sources -
Although the energy generated or saved from these nanotechnologies is small at present, the advances in technology will improve their performance and ensure that they gain importance in the energy scenario in the future.
"Against the backdrop of an anticipated 30% increase of global energy demand by 2035 and the significant expansion of renewable energy coming into the grid, the study has found that nanotechnologies including new nano-materials, could be a key to successful renewable energy and energy storage integration." - a study conducted by IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) claims so.
The world’s hunger for energy is rapidly increasing. While increasing production to match this demand, the world produces carbon dioxide that is released to the earth’s atmosphere will be there for around a hundred years duration. This increased content of Carbon Dioxide increases the warmth of our planet and is the main cause of the so called “Global Warming Effect”. One answer to global warming is to produce, transport, store and consume energy in new and more efficient ways that do not emit carbon dioxide. Nanotechnology may be able to offer us newer technologies which can help us achieve this task.
When modified at the nano-scale, matter begins to demonstrate entirely new properties, also on a macroscopic scale. It can become stronger, lighter, have improved viscosity, increased stability or better thermal and electrical properties. This makes Nanotechnology a key enabling technology both to exploit traditional energy sources in a more efficient, safe and environmentally friendly manner, and to tap into the full potential of sustainable energy sources such as biomass, wind, geothermal and solar power. It also offers solutions to reduce energy losses in power transmission, and to manage complex power grids with dynamically changing loads and decentralised feed-in stations.
Here are some of the promising technologies which when deployed on a large scale can change the face of our energy scenario
- Smart Windows
- Aerogels
- Solar Panels
- Wind Turbines
- Nano-generators
However there are a few obstacles with large-scale deployment of nanotechnology enabled power sources -
- Cost- New technology is expensive by necessity. Older forms of energy production, such as coal and nuclear power, have existed for years, and the infrastructure is already in place to build new iterations of the current technology. Newer forms, on the other hand, must be built largely from the ground up. Maintenance is also problematic: there is a workforce already in place for the various current forms of energy production, while newer production methods require training (or possibly retraining).
- Lack of Consumer Confidence- Because these forms of technology are new, they are largely untested and consumers do not understand them. Many alternate forms of energy, such as piezoelectric clothing, may require a significant change in consumer behavior, which is a large leap of faith for unproven technology. Part of the reason smaller steps such as bio fuel were so easily accepted is because it was not an overlarge departure from normal behavior.
- These energy sources have very low energy density meaning to produce sufficient energy many units of these sources have to be used.
- The components, in machinery that captures energy from these sources, used today require a lot of minerals which are either scarce or difficult to synthesize. Therefore alternative components must be found which are abundantly available or easier to produce
- The generation of alternative energy on the scale needed to replace fossil energy, in an effort to reverse global climate change, is likely to have significant negative environmental impacts.
Although the energy generated or saved from these nanotechnologies is small at present, the advances in technology will improve their performance and ensure that they gain importance in the energy scenario in the future.
"Against the backdrop of an anticipated 30% increase of global energy demand by 2035 and the significant expansion of renewable energy coming into the grid, the study has found that nanotechnologies including new nano-materials, could be a key to successful renewable energy and energy storage integration." - a study conducted by IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) claims so.