Nanotechnology in Energy

Concern has been raised for years about the amount of energy people consume, not only in the United States but worldwide. In fact, consumption has been so great in some regions that states to include California have placed restrictions on the number of lights people can use, when lawns can be watered, etc. In addition, discussions have occurred recently in Congress about having controlled meters installed in homes as a means of reducing the amount of energy consumed. Obviously, such restrictions make people feel very uncomfort

Concern has been raised for years about the amount of energy people consume, not only in the United States but worldwide. In fact, consumption has been so great in some regions that states to include California have placed restrictions on the number of lights people can use, when lawns can be watered, etc. In addition, discussions have occurred recently in Congress about having controlled meters installed in homes as a means of reducing the amount of energy consumed. Obviously, such restrictions make people feel very uncomfortable, which is why developing better insulating systems with nanotechnology appears to be a far better solution.

 

With nanotechnology, lighting would be more efficient and in some cases, combustion systems as well. This form of science would also prove beneficial in the transportation sector due to materials being made of lighter materials but without sacrificing on strength. If you look at light bulbs as a prime example, currently only about 5% of electrical energy is converted into light. However, with nanotechnology, quantum caged atoms or QCAs, as well as light emitting diodes or LEDs are used, which provides great illumination but at a fraction of the cost.

 

Even if you look at top quality solar cells, they have a design that includes several layers of various semiconductors that have all been stacked as a means of absorbing light but at varying energy levels. Even with this design, only 40% of energy from the sun is being captured. Keep in mind that these solar cells are for commercial use. If you look at those sold for the average consumer, efficiency drops to as low as 15%. The good news is that thanks to nanotechnology, a different design consists of bandcaps, dramatically improving overall efficiency.

 

One last area we wanted to mention specific to nanotechnology and energy has to do with batteries that can be recycled. Obviously, this is a great way to keep contaminants out of landfills but considering the vast number of batteries dumped, it remains a serious problem. However, with batteries being made from nanomaterials, the number of batteries being tossed would be cut significantly. Every little thing improved on with the use of nanotechnology accumulates quickly, making a huge impact on the environment.

 

All of these things are important but another area in which nanotechnology helps with energy has to do with renewable sources. Today, the number of homes and businesses using some level of renewable energy has skyrocketed. Even on a small scale, using solar power, wind power, hydropower, geothermal power, and biomass equates to reduced cost, higher efficiency, and a much healthier planet. Then when you consider all these forms of energy using nanotechnology on a large scale, the impact is substantial.

 

Because of nanotechnology, materials are improved upon, which means that all types of energy are more efficient. Take solar power as a prime example. Traditional solar cells made from silicon are designed in a different way whereby energy from the sun is absorbed better but also stored longer. With this, more electricity can be generated and even on cloudy days, stored energy is available whenever needed. The same is true for wind power, which could be used with a small backyard turbine or in the form of a huge wind farm. Again, materials are better but the technology itself is far better, which means more electricity can be generated and on days without wind, energy is stored in an efficient manner and available for use.

 

Regardless of the type of energy, with nanotechnology processes and materials are different, making this option more efficient and effective, as well as less expensive to produce. Today, energy produced from nanotechnology has made a huge improvement for various regions of the world but current research shows that more developments are on the horizon that will create even greater energy solutions for today’s society, as well as many generations to come.