
This is a watershed moment in history. Some people may not see it now because they’re in the middle of it, but future generations will look back at this period in time and recognise that this was when mankind made the switch to renewable energy solutions.
A concerted effort by Governments, businesses, and everyday people means that we are investing, relying on and using renewable energy more than ever, with traditional fossil fuels slowing being replaced.
And while the enormous wind and solar farms get all the attention, there are plenty of smaller, more innovative energy solutions happening all over the world, built to provide cheap, clean energy.
Energy from dance floors
Way back in 2008, Rotterdam introduced the world’s first sustainable nightclub, Club WATT.
To reduce the clubs carbon footprint, they developed several sustainable club solutions: the DrinkWaterBar promoted tap water as a sustainable alternative to sodas, and the toilets were flushed with rainwater.
But the most impressive addition was the energy creating dancefloor.
The company behind the nightclub, Energy Floors, designed and built a tile which covered the dancefloor. These special tiles generated energy when stepped on by powering a small motor. The constant kinetic energy of people dancing actually equated to a 30% saving in energy consumption! How cool is that?
Energy from footballs
The millions of kerosene-burning lamps that provide light throughout the developing world have recently become a target for a replacement due to the serious health issues they cause. In fact, the World Health Organisation estimates that breathing the fumes created from burning kerosene indoors equals the harmful effects of smoking two packs of cigarettes a day!
This is where the most popular sport in the world can help.
Many of these developing nations are fanatical about football, and the latest invention from Uncharted Power can join the two to help some of the billion people worldwide who use kerosene burners.
Their special football uses an internal kinetically-powered pendulum to generate and store electricity. After about 30 minutes of play, the ball stores enough energy to power an attachable LED lamp for 3 hours, lighting a home without the health risks that come with the traditional lamps.
Energy from coffee
Many people can’t start their day without a coffee to “get them going”. The geniuses at Bio-bean realised that if coffee can give us energy, then why not everything else?
Used coffee grounds are highly calorific and contain valuable compounds, making them an ideal feedstock from which to produce clean fuels.
Founded in 2013 in the UK, Bio-bean is the first company in the world to industrialise the process of recycling waste coffee grounds into advanced biofuels and biochemicals. The company works within the existing waste infrastructure to collect used coffee grounds from cafes, restaurants and coffee shops, recycling them into sustainable fuels and chemicals.
Energy from our roads
Amsterdam is the world’s capital when it comes to bicycles, with hundreds of thousands of people riding around the city’s 400kms of bike paths every day. With the bicycle lanes already in place, it didn’t take much of a leap for the environmentally-conscious Dutch to suggest turning them into solar lanes, generating their own electricity.
The newly refurbished bike paths have a protective glass layer on top, which shields the crystal silicon solar cells below the surface and enables bikers to ride over the panels without losing any traction.
The first 70 metres were laid in 2014, with another 20 added a couple of years later.
Despite the difficulties that came with the project, such as the flat angle in which the modules are positioned, the thick layer of protection glass covering them, and the high numbers of travellers passing over and blocking the sun, the amount of power generated was more than expected, and expansion of the project is due to continue in the coming years.
Energy solutions from Bright Earth Electrical
With the world changing to renewable energy, isn’t it time you made the switch too?
Call us today and we can help you with any questions you may have about adding a solar power system to your home or business.
You can become self-reliant when it comes to your energy needs, no longer having to worry about the next power cut or price hike.
Electricity prices have gone through the roof here in Australia over the past decade, and they don’t look like slowing anytime soon. You can forget all with your own home solar system, and start saving money today.
Contact us for more information about solar energy solutions, or if you have any questions, our friendly and experienced staff will be happy to help.

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