Reports that wind farms have been forced to close overnight because its been too windy, have not only had the National Grid in a bluster but drawn attention to the need for effective renewable energy sources.
Wind farms were closed by the National Grid because they determined the turbines couldn’t cope with gales raging across Scotland. With the population due to swell to seven billion by Halloween, the need for reneweable energy to combat human consumption is vital.
Futuristic designs by Phil Pauley are a breath of fresh air to the energy market. The bubble pods (below) that look almost like an accessory from Total Wipeout are Marine Solar Cells.
The demi-globes harness both solar and wave power (‘photovoltaic’ in science-speak) saving space on offshore wave farms, while using the reflection of sun off the waves to increase energy capture even further. Just as it is easier to get sunburnt whilst swimming, capturing solar energy in this way is extremely effective, and cheap.
“These hybrid marine generators would be an effective way of capturing more energy per square metre. The design means they could be largely constructed from recycled materials too,” said Pauley.
Pauley’s Solar Cucumber is another ground breaking design. The water purifier is nicknamed after the salad vegetable both because of its tubular design and also because of the way it works with the water.
Using solar energy to remove salt from seawater (desalination) it works using a vacuum to suck up the saline then purifies through humidifying and evaporating the fluid.
This mimics the normal environmental water cycle in a sort of backwards osmosis. Inventions like these help places around the world that are trying to cope with water shortages. Take a look at the futuristic designs below: