ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES:
New but Unused
Editor's Note: In his response to a series of articles he read, George B. ('16), discusses the usefulness of new energy sources, but also why they have not been implemented in modern society.
“Prowl the edges of contemporary invention, and you experience a lot of this frustration. A scientist announces a breakthrough in, say, battery technology or algae biofuel, and the talk ramps up quickly to full-throttle utopian, tapping into a frontier dream that’s so alluring to Americans: energy from light, self-sustaining, untethered from the grid.”
Jack Hitt makes a good point when he talks of the many recent energy breakthroughs that paint a coming utopia, but then fall flat after the idea is not implemented in modern society. A recent example in 2010 is Graphene, a superconductor that is capable of truly amazing feats. After experiments in labs, scientists claimed that Graphene “[had] one hundred times the electron mobility of silicon [transistors]” which are “already reaching their capacity.” This miracle material that is not only a superconductor, but also “20 times stronger than diamond, 200 stronger than steel and six times lighter”, received the 2010 Nobel prize because of the creators “two Russian-born scientists, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov.” So with a Nobel prize and promising results in the lab, why has this not been put to use yet? As Hitt mentions in his article oftentimes there are small technological hurdles that are too difficult to overcome if mass production is achieved. The hurdle that is bundled with Graphene is “the fact that its conductivity can't be turned "off," meaning that as a semiconductor it is useless, although researchers are experimenting with the substance to figure out a way around this problem.” Theoretically it is great, but when put into practice it is hard to fully fulfill all of its amazing qualities. This superconductor could revolutionize batteries, but only with the right development can it reach its true potential. Another example of breakthroughs in energy development is Tesla’s attempts at removing the gasoline car.
With their popular electric cars Tesla ran into one fundamental problem, the inaccessibility of electricity on the road. To solve this, they planned to introduce something known as “The Supercharger, Tesla’s name for a proposed nationwide network of electric-car filling stations, outlines the most tangible blueprint so far of petroleum-free driving in the United States.” With this proposition made in 2012, it promises a free means of transportation that can take you from the West to East coast without spending any money or harming the Earth at all. This is because the charging stations are planning to implement solar panels, to make this system 100% reusable and free. So why has America not changed into this achievable system of free and non-polluting transportation? The problem comes in the expensive value of the Model S (the only car that can pipe into these stations) which ranges to $100,000. If this solution is to be used country-wide the cars need to come to a more accessible at a cheaper price. To fix this problem Tesla “[plans] to invest about $2 billion in a large-scale factory to produce cheaper batteries for a mass-market.” A large price to pay for the creation of cheaper batteries, but also a relatively cheap price to pay for free and non-polluting transportation for all. “Analysts said that Tesla needs more batteries if it is to make its third-generation vehicle, an electric sedan that will be sold for less than $40,000. Panasonic currently makes batteries for the Model S.” Tesla is trying to allow American to tap into the dream of free and reusable travel. Like Hitt says, many of these seemingly possible achievements fall flat, but for Tesla the future seems within our grasp. With innovators like Tesla that are willing to risk their money and reputation, America will find its solution to the energy crisis eventually. No matter how many setbacks or bumps along the road, America is slowly transitioning into reusable and clean energy for all.
Jack Hitt makes a good point when he talks of the many recent energy breakthroughs that paint a coming utopia, but then fall flat after the idea is not implemented in modern society. A recent example in 2010 is Graphene, a superconductor that is capable of truly amazing feats. After experiments in labs, scientists claimed that Graphene “[had] one hundred times the electron mobility of silicon [transistors]” which are “already reaching their capacity.” This miracle material that is not only a superconductor, but also “20 times stronger than diamond, 200 stronger than steel and six times lighter”, received the 2010 Nobel prize because of the creators “two Russian-born scientists, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov.” So with a Nobel prize and promising results in the lab, why has this not been put to use yet? As Hitt mentions in his article oftentimes there are small technological hurdles that are too difficult to overcome if mass production is achieved. The hurdle that is bundled with Graphene is “the fact that its conductivity can't be turned "off," meaning that as a semiconductor it is useless, although researchers are experimenting with the substance to figure out a way around this problem.” Theoretically it is great, but when put into practice it is hard to fully fulfill all of its amazing qualities. This superconductor could revolutionize batteries, but only with the right development can it reach its true potential. Another example of breakthroughs in energy development is Tesla’s attempts at removing the gasoline car.
With their popular electric cars Tesla ran into one fundamental problem, the inaccessibility of electricity on the road. To solve this, they planned to introduce something known as “The Supercharger, Tesla’s name for a proposed nationwide network of electric-car filling stations, outlines the most tangible blueprint so far of petroleum-free driving in the United States.” With this proposition made in 2012, it promises a free means of transportation that can take you from the West to East coast without spending any money or harming the Earth at all. This is because the charging stations are planning to implement solar panels, to make this system 100% reusable and free. So why has America not changed into this achievable system of free and non-polluting transportation? The problem comes in the expensive value of the Model S (the only car that can pipe into these stations) which ranges to $100,000. If this solution is to be used country-wide the cars need to come to a more accessible at a cheaper price. To fix this problem Tesla “[plans] to invest about $2 billion in a large-scale factory to produce cheaper batteries for a mass-market.” A large price to pay for the creation of cheaper batteries, but also a relatively cheap price to pay for free and non-polluting transportation for all. “Analysts said that Tesla needs more batteries if it is to make its third-generation vehicle, an electric sedan that will be sold for less than $40,000. Panasonic currently makes batteries for the Model S.” Tesla is trying to allow American to tap into the dream of free and reusable travel. Like Hitt says, many of these seemingly possible achievements fall flat, but for Tesla the future seems within our grasp. With innovators like Tesla that are willing to risk their money and reputation, America will find its solution to the energy crisis eventually. No matter how many setbacks or bumps along the road, America is slowly transitioning into reusable and clean energy for all.
Berman, B. (2012, September 28). Charging Ahead on an Electric Highway. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/automobiles/on-an-electric- highway-charging-into-the-future.html?_r=0
McKirdy, E. (2014, April 10). 'Miracle Material' Graphene One Step Closer to Commercial Use. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/10/world/asia/graphene- samsung-breakthrough/
Supercharger | Tesla Motors. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.teslamotors.com/supercharger
Trop, J., & Cardwell, D. (2014, February 26). Tesla Plans $5 Billion Battery Factory for Mass- Market Electric Car. New York Times.
McKirdy, E. (2014, April 10). 'Miracle Material' Graphene One Step Closer to Commercial Use. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/10/world/asia/graphene- samsung-breakthrough/
Supercharger | Tesla Motors. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.teslamotors.com/supercharger
Trop, J., & Cardwell, D. (2014, February 26). Tesla Plans $5 Billion Battery Factory for Mass- Market Electric Car. New York Times.
