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Energy from…
Energy from... —
From volcanoes to wave power and even algae, researchers are looking far and wide for viable energy alternatives to power the planet after oil, gas and coal reserves run out. We take a look through some of the more interesting, promising and downright unusual possible energy sources of the future. Gallery by Matthew Ponsford
Wind power is on the rise. Carbon fiber kites equipped with wind turbines claim to produce as much power as a fixed turbine, but with a fraction of the material cost. The secretive research department behind Google's driverless cars and Google Glass technology, Google[X], bought kite power company Makani in May.
Makani power
Energy from... volcanoes —
Volcano-powered underground turbines sound like the perfect power source... for a Hollywood super-villain. But two companies from Oregon are planning to make it a reality experimenting with the new technology in the land around the Newberry Volcano in Oregon (pictured). Critics have called the process "volcano fracking" -- which sound, well, risky.
In space, it's never cloudy! Solar panels could drink in the sun's energy without atmospheric interference and beam it down to earth in laser beams or (more likely) microwaves. The idea has been out there since the seventies, but space fans will be encouraged to hear that NASA is now showing an interest.
Courtesy John C. Mankins / Artemis Innovation Management Solutions LL
Are waves an even better source of "free" energy than wind? The Scots think so: the world's biggest wave farm was approved there this year. Waves beat wind, say proponents, because they are more predictable, allowing surges of power to be more easily integrated into the power grid.
Courtesy Aquamarine Power
Energy from... algae —
Sure you can turn algae into biofuel and get energy that way -- but what if algae could produce power without the processing? Researchers from Stanford have managed to "steal electrons" from algae cells. OK, it's not very efficient yet -- in fact, the process currently uses up electricity -- but it opens the door for more research into very green energy.
A (not-so-)Large Hadron Collider to bring power to your neighborhood? Yes, a miniaturized version of the particle accelerator at CERN -- like this one in Daresbury, UK -- could provide a clean alternative to fossil fuels. But how happy will residents be about the nuclear reactor next door?
Courtesy ASTeC
Energy from... ultracapacitors —
Hailed as the replacement for batteries, ultracapacitors could soon be supplying us with huge amounts of energy that today goes to waste. As battery powered devices -- from electric cars to handheld devices -- come to dominate our lives, ultracapacitors could help us use that charge more efficiently. The acid test will be whether ultracapacitors can find a way to efficiently store the unpredictable surges of electricity that sometimes come from solar and wind power plants.
![Wind power is on the rise. Carbon fiber kites equipped with wind turbines claim to produce as much power as a fixed turbine, but with a fraction of the material cost. The secretive research department behind Google's driverless cars and Google Glass technology, <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fbusiness-21752441" target="_blank" target="_blank">Google[X], bought kite power company Makani in May. </a>](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/131101170025-alternative-energy-kite-power.jpg?q=w_3000,h_2000,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
