Solar and wind power renewables receive most of the plaudits.
It is mostly fair, as these technologies are incredible.
But – what about other forms of renewable energy?
Anaerobic Digestion
The process of using anaerobic digestions (AD) in order to produce renewable energy is a fairly modern phenomenon. The first unit was built in 1895 in England. However, there is little known anecdotal evidence that biogas produced from anaerobic digestion was utilised to heat public baths in the Assyrian and Persian empires (10th and 16th century).
In today’s world, it is mainly being used by farmers in the UK and utilised by large-scale power stations to convert wood pellets into usable power.
How does anaerobic digestion work?
Simply put, anaerobic digestion is the breakdown of organic materials into gases – methane and carbon dioxide – with water as a by-product. Methane is an incredibly flammable gas that can be combusted to produce heat and electricity.
The organic matter is broken down by microorganisms that are intolerant to oxygen. As a result of this, the process has to take place in airtight containers. The word ‘aerobic’ indicates a need for oxygen, while the suffix ‘an’ indicates a negative. The word essentially means ‘without oxygen’.
Gases can then be used as a fuel for grid resources like heat and electricity generation, or as biofuels for transport. But, before this, there are several crucial steps that we must cover in the digestion process.
Removing contaminants
Organic fuel must be screened for any contaminants. The fuel used in anaerobic digestions can be any sort of biodegradable materials like food or plant waste. Crops, slurries, and sewage are also commonly used.
Treating the fuel
Once screening has taken place, the fuel needs to be treated to ensure a smooth consistency. Many anaerobic digestion units are fed with a continuous, unbroken flow for cost effectiveness. Once this has taken place, the fuel is fed directly into a digestion unit for breakdown by microorganisms.
Into the plant
Digestion units fall into one of two categories – mesophilic or thermophilic. This refers to the temperature range in which the microorganisms work best at.
Mesophilic units operate between 20-45 degrees Celsius, with an optimal temperature of 37 degrees Celsius. These are more common to see as they are slightly cheaper to build as well as maintain due to their lower operational temperature. Thermophilic units operate at an increased temperature of between 50-60 degrees Celsius. Occasionally, this can be higher.
The different stages of breakdown
The organic material is now ready to be broken down in a four stage chemical process to convert the matter into useable biogas.
Hydrolysis
This first stage involves the breakdown of complex matter like carbohydrates and proteins, which are broken down into their sub-units of sugars and amino acids. These are normally long-chain chemical compounds, but hydrolysis breaks them down into simpler single molecules.
Acidogenesis
Following this, microorganisms break down the simple molecules of sugar and amino acids yet further into ethanol and fatty acids. This produces carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide as by-products.
Acetogenesis
Next, the ethanol and fatty acids are converted into hydrogen, acetic acid, and carbon dioxide.
Methanogenesis
Finally, microorganisms convert the remaining hydrogen and acetic acid into methane and more carbon dioxide.
Here is where the final product of methane biogas is achieved. As well as producing biogas which is able to be supplied directly into the grid or converted to biofuel, anaerobic digestion also provides digestate (a nutrient-rich fertiliser) as a by-product of the process.
Other renewables you’ve never heard of…
Make no mistake, there is an almost unlimited source of renewable energies.
The only limit is your imagination.
In recent years, there have been dozens of imaginative and innovative eco-efficient renewable energy sources explored.
It’s not just solar, hydro, wind, and biofuels…
Underground Energy
Disgraced former prime-minister Boris Johnson actually came up with this interesting idea. He backed the exploration of harnessing the heat of the London Underground to heat local homes.
As part of the EU’s co-funded CELSIUS project, the scheme hoped to trap the humidity from the tube, which could then be used to heat homes in the Islington borough.
Solar wind
There is of course solar power and wind turbines at land and sea, so the concept of solar wind is unusual.
Well – harnessing solar wind is an entirely different thing. It is currently just a theory but could, if viable, source one hundred billion times more power than humanity could ever need. It is hypothesised that a satellite could be used to capture streams of energised particles flowing from the sun, which could then be transmitted back to earth with an infrared laser.
Dead heat
In Worcestershire, the Redditch Crematorium’s furnaces are passing on the heat they create out to the local pool. This saves approximately £15,000 per year. This is not the only project like this as the Durham Crematorium has already announced plans to install two turbines into its burners and then sell back the excess energy to the National Grid.
Dance energy
How do we turn the UK clubbing scene into a massive boon for the energy industry? Well, Holland may hold the answer.
The Club Watt in Rotterdam has their dance floors rigged up with piezoelectric technology, which uses crystals that create a spark when pressure is applied to harness dancing energy. The vibrations of the packed out dance floor hold vast amounts of potential electronic energy which can then be circulated back into the building’s power supply.
This club is now closed, but the legacy remains.
Jellyfish power
Certain jellyfish cells have been shown to hold the ability to generate electricity. When applied with the right technology, particular jellyfish proteins can be used to create a photovoltaic cell. This technology is being explored by researchers in Sweden, who hope to deliver a low-cost step towards renewable innovation.
Duck energy
This project is still in the feasibility stage, but it is extremely promising.
The large, duck-themed installation is an art project that also acts as a renewable energy source. It is very similar mechanistically to the wind-turbine trees in Paris. The artists behind the project have proposed that the sculpture be made out of PV panels, with the size and location on the water meaning it is ideally placed to gather solar power.
Van Gogh energy
Another incredible project from the Netherlands are the ‘starry night’ inspired bike paths.
These aren’t lit by traditional street lighting, but rather absorb solar energy during the day which causes luminescent rocks coated in a photosensitive material to glow at night. It is part of the wider SMART HIGHWAY initiative from Dutch Designer, Daan Roosegaarde, who is trying to find ways to make roads smart and more environmentally friendly.
Exploding Lakes
Some lakes can be a fantastic source of turbulent eco-friendly energy.
There are only three currently known in the world, but ‘exploding lakes’ that hold reservoirs of methane and carbon dioxide could be exploited for energy. These gases are trapped, but should the water temperature of the lakes change, a limnic eruption would occur.
CO2 erupts from the surface, which although could be fatal for anyone in the direct vicinity, could also be a fantastic source of energy. One of these lakes, Lake Kivu in Rwanda, has been turned into a renewable energy generator by three large generators sucking up the released gases and generating energy to sell back to the grid.
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