Recently, San Francisco became the first major US city to require the installation of solar panels on all new construction. This move builds upon the California Energy Commission’s requirement that all new buildings built after January 1, 2014 must have solar-ready roofs. It’s a big win for solar, but it’s an even bigger win for renewable energy overall.
The wide scale adoption of renewable energy sources gives credibility to the implementation of reliable sources of power that do not require the burning of fossil fuels. And while solar is steadily gaining traction around the globe, there are other, more unexpected energy sources that can one day power our cars, our homes, and our cities.
The Need For Alternate Energy Sources
As a testament to how innovative humans can be, some of the energy sources that are currently under development are unusual in comparison to wind and solar. But they’re all part of a larger effort to design a power grid that reduces emissions, supplies reliable energy, and lowers the cost of electricity overall.
According to Energy.gov, renewable energy integration “focuses on incorporating renewable energy, distributed generation, energy storage, thermally activated technologies, and demand response into the electric distribution and transmission system.” We’re still years away from powering an entire city on solar power, but there are tangible benefits to structuring the power grid to best utilize energy resources like solar energy — and the energy generated from unexpected sources.
What are those unexpected sources of renewable power? Take a look at the infographic below, created by Green Future, for a list of the five weirdest energy sources in development today.
