Finding renewable energy solutions is currently are the forefront of the energy industry. With the world needing to reach critical climate goals, innovation is needed like never before if we are to ensure that we do not do irreversible damage to the planet due to climate change. Achieving sustainability is no longer an option, but a dire need. In line with this, China has recently unveiled new plans on how to achieve these carbon-neutral goals.
China’s clean energy innovation sets the bar
China has been at the forefront of producing clean energy technology. Recently, there has been evidence that they are building a new nuclear fusion technology research center, which is set to be the largest in the world, surpassing California’s National Ignition Facility by 50%. Nuclear fusion technology, while not currently in practice as an energy source, the potential the technology offers is unfathomable. Not only would the energy be limitless, but it would also be fully renewable and produce no nuclear waste, unlike its counterpart nuclear fission technology which is in practice and contributes to 10% of the world’s energy sources.
The electrical car industry is also taking China by a storm. Not only is major American electrical vehicle company Tesla currently in the process of building a massive Gigafactory in Shanghai, but China’s own electrical car company BYD continues to gain in popularity in the Asian market, becoming a major competitor of the American company. This continued innovation is setting the bar high for the rest of the world, as China continues to gain in new technological applications.
Using rain as a power source?
According to Chinese researchers in a publication by Tsinghua University Press, raindrops carry with them small amounts of energy when they fall from the sky. If this energy from the raindrops could be collected, it would essentially act like a small-scale application of hydropower energy. While this would certainly be an opportunity for the renewable energy sphere, the biggest challenge this idea faces is harvesting this type of energy on a large scale.
Collecting this energy involves the use of a device called a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). The device works by using liquid-solid contact electrification. It essentially operates similar to a solar panel, however the energy is collected from raindrops and not light waves. Droplet based TENGS (D-TENGS) would be directly modelled after solar panel arrays, to ensure efficient and widescale use of the technology.
“Although D-TENGs have ultra-high instantaneous output power, it is still difficult for a single D-TENG to continuously supply power for megawatt-level electrical equipment. Therefore, it is very important to realize the simultaneous utilization of multiple D-TENGs,” said Zong Li, a professor at the Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School at Tsinghua University in Shenzhen, China to Tsingua University Press. “Referring to the design of solar panels in which multiple solar power generation units are connected in parallel to supply the load, we are proposing a simple and effective method for raindrop energy harvesting.”
The need for diverse alternative energy solutions
Innovation like that of D-TENG technology is critical in order for the world to achieve its sustainability goals. Researchers from around the world are working tirelessly to provide alternative clean energy solutions which can replace our fossil-fuel application technology. The transportation sector in particular has been driving innovation, providing alternative engine solutions for passenger vehicles in order for automobile companies to reach carbon-neutral goals.
In addition, collaboration among researchers is key to accelerate the implementation of feasible and large-scale renewable energy technology. Reducing competition and prioritizing the greater-good of humanity needs to be at the forefront of researchers goals across industry.
