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Some scientists estimate that by 2050, two-thirds of the world's population will live in cities, so they seek, with some technology companies, to generate renewable energy from street furniture that we surrounded.
If we take into account new materials, inventions and devices developed, no one can say that it is an unattainable goal.
Another very different thing is if they are economically feasible and actually constitute an alternative to the already existing energy generators.
1. Energy Cement
Cement mixtures made from waste from power plants could be used to construct, for example, buildings used as batteries.
This concrete compound of potbadium electrolyte (KGP) is cheaper than ordinary cement and can store electricity .
According to the researchers, a six meter high lamp post manufactured with KGP and equipped with a small solar panel could hold enough energy to feed all night long.
"We have shown that KGP cement mixtures can be used to store and release electrical energy without the need to add anything that is expensive or dangerous. ", says Lancaster University professor Mohamed Saafi, who is leading the investigation.
Buildings Built with KGP Could be Used in Cities for Electric
2. Solar Panels
New Materials Also Help Make Solar Panels Less Expensive and More Profitable .
Solar energy is the most common source of renewable energy in cities because its cost has dropped. the US $ 4 per watt, which cost US $ 0.50 ten years ago
In the United Kingdom, for example, more than one in three companies already produces some of its electricity, mainly in the United States. using solar panel panels placed on the roofs.
But the manufacture of silicon-based solar panels represents a considerable expense of energy because it requires temperatures above 1400 ° C and above and the silicon must be 99.9999% pure.
Nitin Padture, professor of engineering at Brown University in the United States [1] showed materials such as perovskite that dramatically reduce panel splitting, reduce costs, and achieve much lower temperatures. 9659002] Being partially transparent they could also be used for windows.
The disadvantage is that most of them contain lead, a highly toxic metal, but Professor Padture and his team suggested an option. replaces lead with titanium .
"Titanium is quite common, but no one has considered using it to replace lead in perovskite solar panels," he says.
"We are not trying to replace the existing silicon technology, but improve it."
3. Urban wind turbines
With respect to wind, Another popular source of renewable energy, conventional wind turbines do not work well in areas with many buildings, as wind direction varies greatly.
Researchers Nicolas Orellana and Yaseen Noorani created a spherical wind turbine to put an end to the problem. Its O-Wind turbine, which won the James Dyson 2018 award in the UK, is a spherical device that rotates when the wind hits it in any direction.
Another solution is provided by the Turkish company Devici It is to use vertical wind turbines on roads that can use the energy produced by cars while driving .
The company says its turbines Enlil, already in testing phase in Istanbul, can meet the energy needs of up to two houses and can also integrate solar panels and seismic sensors.
However, some inventions, while working, proved ineffective. not at all profitable.
4. Photovoltaic Roads
In France, for example, the engineering company Colas was a pioneer in the construction of photovoltaic roads. He has installed several throughout the country, as well as in parts of Japan and the United States.
The first construction was carried out on a lane of one kilometer in Normandy, in the north-east of the country.
Doubts remain as to Yes, in the case of photovoltaic roads, solar panels are really useful because when they are in a horizontal position instead of being inclined towards the sun, they can not not receive so many solar rays . In addition, heavy traffic, snow or mud can block them .
In 2014, a small 70 meter bike path was built in Amsterdam for $ 3 million. It produced 3,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity during its first year, but 65 million kWh of electricity could have been bought on the open market for that money.
5. Energy to Motion
Another technology that seeks to justify itself commercially is the piezoelectric . It is a type of energy that, when some materials are pressed, such as quartz, crosses them .
Therefore, cars and trucks traveling on special surfaces Equipped with piezoelectric devices could generate energy. Pedestrians could do the same on special sidewalks.
In 2009, the Israeli company Innowattech experimented with energy-saving roads, and an American company, Pyro-E, wanted to test similar technology on a small stretch of road in Fresno, California
. that these projects are technically feasible, they are currently expensive .
Some estimate that in the United States, one kilometer of a two-way street would require 13,000 piezoelectric devices, which would add US $ 400,000 for construction costs.
Even without taking into account manufacturing or installation costs, it would take about 12 years to recover this amount.
The British company Pavegen developed generating roads electricity . they can produce two to four joules of energy with each step taken.
Their sidewalks, which cost about US $ 2,700 per square meter, were installed in 200 locations around the world.
This figure can be quite high, but also expensive solar panels when they entered the market for the first time.
people, not only will technology be the one that will improve our cities, "said Laurence Kemball-Cook, founder and executive director of Pavegen.
The idea, they hope, is that people can help create sustainable cities with energy. Renewable.
Technology, now is the time to cut costs.
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