Solar energy has been at the forefront of the support for renewable energy, energy from natural sources that are harnessed and replenished at a larger rate than they are consumed, according to the United Nations (UN).
While our solar system's Sun gives us heat and light, there are also other sources of clean energy, such as wind energy, bioenergy, geothermal energy, hydropower energy, and others.
Amid a global energy crisis marked by high prices in electricity, oil, and gas in recent years, scientists have worked on the clock to maximize renewable energy production and clean energy distribution.
While non-renewable energy resources like fossil fuels are important, excessive anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions to harness them have also damaged the atmosphere and accelerated global warming.
Now, scientists have looked for an alternative for a source of clean energy in artificial trees.
One such development is the "artificial tree" established at a campus in Switzerland, aiming to absorb and store energy from the Sun, based on reports in recent days.
The said tree is an actual device that resembles a satellite dish, which can address the problem of energy storage concerning clean energy distribution, Newsweek reported.
Switzerland Artificial Trees
TOPSHOT - An aerial picture taken on August 23, 2022 shows a drought-affected forest with earlier fall-color above the village of Roche, western Switzerland. - Following several heatwaves and the lack of water, the vegetation is drying out and stressed trees have engaged their survival mode by they sacrificing their leaves.
Solar energy projects like the one in Switzerland has been reported to be a big step against the said largest obstacle to clean energy distribution.
Sophia Haussener, a laboratory head at EPFL, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (école Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), told Newsweek that their system directly stores solar energy into hydrogen.
In particular, the said artificial tree harnesses the power of solar energy to separate water to create hydrogen, an element used to power homes, cars, and others.
Also Read: US May Lose 1.4 Million Urban Trees Over Next 30 Years From Invasive Pests
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is a term that has become familiar in recent decades parallel to the development of energy-harnessing equipment and technology using the environment and natural resources around us as a source.
According to the UN, the production of renewable energy leads to lower emissions compared to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, suggesting that a transition away from the climate-damaging practice is key to address the current climate crisis.
Despite the evident benefits of clean energy compared to dirty emissions, renewable energy has not yet been implemented in all industrial sectors of the world.
While a number of solar panels, windmills, and offshore wind farms have been established already, especially in first-world countries, the issue of climate change and other energy-related issues have still persisted.
Global Energy Crisis
While the global energy crisis has socio-economic and environmental repercussions, it is also driving an "unprecedented momentum" in installations of renewable power, with a total capacity of energy storage to nearly double in the next five years, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 which contributed to the increase of energy-related products has motivated countries to turn to renewable energy to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, the IEA adds.
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