The Evolution of Nanotechnology Offers Great Hope for Energy Sector

Clean energy advances are made due to careful research and development in the fields of science and technology, with nanotechnology leading the way as the most exciting area and potentially the most influential breakthrough.

Nanotechnology has slowly evolved over the past century, and will continue to evolve even further in the future. Around 50 to 100 years ago engineers and scientists were able to create devices on a macro-level, but now they reduced the scale substantially to be able to produce devices on a nano-level.

Carbon nanotubes, for example, are the most conductive material known to man, and can help to increase efficiency of transmission lines; although mass production still remains a problem.

The green energy sector has been the largest beneficiary of nanotechnology.  Using nanotechnology to custom build a material that is both strong and light weight will allow turbines to grow in size as their blades can be a lot larger. Nanotechnology can also help solar cells become much more efficient.

Currently in the world nanotechnology is already in use. Altair Nanotechnologies, in conjunction with the University of Hawaii and the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, is using nanotechnology to create a 2 megawatt energy storage system that will have unparalleled efficiency and charging speeds.

Nanosolar, a thin-film solar manufacturer is using nanotechnology to create a solar project in Spain that will provide generate 16,500 megawatt hours per year.

By. James Burgess of Oilprice.com