![Natural gases are primarily used to light up our cities. [Image via Pixabay]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/8/20/660x290/b_502x220x82/different-sources-of-energy-that-have-powered-our-society-image-via-pixabay_1519237.jpg "Natural gases are primarily used to light up our cities. [Image via Pixabay]")
Life works on the underlying philosophy of give-and-take. This implies that nothing can or should be taken for granted. One of those things one must not take for granted is energy. In order to get work done, energy is a requisite.
Before the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, our energy requirements were rather moderate. Getting from point A to point B only required the muscle power of one horse and to pull an all-nighter, we only needed candles for illumination. Machines used to harness power were relatively rudimentary but that was all that was needed.
How did things change?
When Thomas Newcomen and James Watt induced adaptations to the steam engine, the direction the world was headed in was violently changed. The modern steam engine was born and transportation was revolutionized. A single engine could do the work of dozens of horses. The steam engine, however, found its place in various other domains as well. It was used to power locomotives, factories, and farm implements. The steam engine was powered by coal. This, unsurprisingly, had its negative implications on the environment.
Worried by the possibility of fossil fuels running out, the first solar power system was developed in 1860. And in the year 1882, the first hydroelectric power plant went into operation.
These were remarkable steps made for the sake of innovation and improvement in the quality of life. Transportation, construction, domestic needs - they all demanded more power by the day as lifestyles were beginning to transform. Cities were being built and new jobs were constantly being generated. With the decline of costs and the hike in the amount of electricity generated, society's use of energy changed forever.
Fast forward to today, natural gases are primarily used to light up our cities. Petroleum is heavily used, almost with no consideration of a looming consequence.
Technology of renewable energy
When pioneers get together in a room to discuss progress, the whole world gets to hear what they have to say. Because pioneers look for problems and feed them with solutions.
An interesting article on fusion energy got in-depth on the prospects of the new source of energy for our future. With the ever-increasing demand for energy and the temporary nature of fossil fuels, the need for Renewable Energy was awakened.
What do we have for the present? The present promises technologies like solar panels and large wind turbines. Electric powered cars are on the rise replacing the need for petrol and reducing the risks of carbon emissions.
The next generation of solar panels could be improved by an atomic-scale redesign. Modern day panels suffer from unimpressive efficiency, but researchers have uncovered the exact mechanism that causes new solar cells to break down in the air.
Light-absorbing materials called organic lead halide perovskites are used in a new type of solar cells that have shown great promise.
Mechanical engineers David Hartmann and Craftsman Jason Ballash have designed a new wave power technology called the 'KymoGen,' which is an exciting piece of technology that works under the influence of the power of waves. With government entities taking serious steps, innovators and leaders are always looking out for better ways to power the world.
