The Alternative Crowd: Unusual Renewable Energies

By Ysabel Yates, Contributor
17 July 2012   

 

Considering their popularity, "alternative energy" is almost a misnomer for increasingly mainstream energy sources like wind, solar and biofuels. Some alternative energies still fit the title, however. These renewables, which will principally provide power for small devices, use unusual sources to create their juice, including vibrations, clothing, viruses, water — even the movements of the human body.

The ability to generate electricity from these alternative sources is critical for powering gadgets in remote places, like on top of bridges or underwater. And having cellphones powered by vibrations means that we won’t have to stay close to our chargers anymore. The only question is: how long will we have to wait until these energies are part of the “it” crowd?

Some Are Ready...
Some “alternative” alternatives have been commercially developed for years. Take people power, for example. Gyms powered by their patrons are springing up all over the world, and it’s not hard to see why: one popular franchise, Portland, Oregon’s Green Microgym, claims its patrons (with the help of solar panels) generated 36 percent of the electricity it needed in 2010.