What is Breakthrough Energy Coalition? What is Global Apollo Program? What is Mission Innovation? These are all different names of the same objective: to make this world pollution free and sustain it with the greatest green energy projects ever embarked. The year 2015 brought the issue of global warming to the attention of world leaders and tech billionaire tech icons, who will be now funding the biggest energy projects through their own channels.
Breakthrough Energy Coalition, Global Apollo Program and Mission Innovation were all launched in 2015 with little difference along the timeline. These green energy projects are billed to solve the issue of global warming and generate clean energy with the power of science and scientific research. The purpose is to meet the world’s growing energy needs without polluting the world any further.
We are going to summarize all these energy projects one by one and shed some light on who is taking part in these projects, how the powerful leaders behind these projects are planning to tackle green energy challenge and finally, what are the potential technologies that could serve as most reliable candidates for these energy projects.
Mission Innovation
Mission Innovation, like ‘Breakthrough,’ is a coalition. But in this case, major countries of the world are involved instead of individuals. The purpose of Mission innovation is to speed up the process of generating clean energy through public and private investments, addressing the issue of climate change as well.
The conglomerate was founded by Bill Gates during the COP21 that took place last month on November 30th. President of United States Barack Obama, French President Hollande and India Priminister Narendra Modi also attended the event.
In the launching ceremony, 20 countries of the world (listed below), committed to the cause of green energy by providing the funding and resources necessary to carry out its research and development. The US alone would contribute about $4B dollars to the project while other countries will also share some portion of their GDP. The project is aimed to conclude in 2020.
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Global Apollo Programme
Unlike other green energy projects, the Global Apollo Programme is mainly centered on electricity. Its aim is to innovate a cheap electricity generation technology that is both affordable and environment-friendly. Also launched the same year (June), the Apollo Program is actually the biggest wake-up call ever… not just to the nations of the worlds but scientists, engineers and relative researchers who must join their forces to find a renewable energy solution.
The duration of the Apollo Programme is 10 years, in which it is to be funded by the developed countries, each is to contribute 0.02% of GDP towards the program. According to the estimates, a total of $150B would be invested in the research and development activities. The key focus will be on renewable energy generation by improving storage power, smartening electric grid systems and replacing hydrocarbon fueled vehicles with electric cars.
Breakthrough Energy Coalition
Breakthrough Energy Coalition is an alliance of billionaires around the world to curb down global energy crisis. The ultimate goal is to switch the entire world to zero-emission energy innovation. The coalition defines their model as “a public-private partnership between governments, research institutions, and investors. Scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs.”
According to the principles on their website, the current pace of research to produce a renewable energy solution is slow. Therefore, the capital and resources must be focused on new tools. The venture of affordable clean energy solution needs extensive efforts and funding, for which government sector alone cannot sustain. Therefore, Breakthrough Energy Coalition recognizes itself with Mission Innovation in the same pipeline.
Government research tends to play on the safe side, but breakthrough innovations are less likely to happen without taking risks. This is an arena for billionaire investors who are better familiar with risks and rewards of moonshots projects, so collective efforts of both sectors have greater chances of success than.
All Billionaire members of Breakthrough Energy Coalition
Green Energy Technologies with Potential to Change the World
The mainstream technologies that are being currently used are wind power, hydropower, geothermal, solar energy and nuclear energy. Out of these, the solar and the nuclear power has the greatest potential to produce green energy at very cost-effective rates.
Solar Power:
In just one hour, the Sun delivers enough energy to the Earth that can power world’s energy requirements for an entire year. Until we create our own Sun-like with fusion reactors, we must utilize the energy that is already coming from it. Over the years, solar panels have improved in performance, efficiency and mobility as well.
An ideal Photo Voltaic (Solar) cell converts 100% of sunlight into energy, which that is not practically achievable. But if tomorrow scientists make PV cells with 80%-90% efficiency, that would do more than we can anticipate. Apart from the efficiency of solar panels, solar power also demands a good storage system, which means smarter energy grids.
The best thing about solar power is that it is available in remotest parts of the worlds and you don’t have to be attached to a supply pipeline or source grid. Solar power gives you independence, you can get yourself your own home energy kit, like that sold by Tesla, and never pay the bill to the government again. However, the home energy installations are efficient but they are not cheap.
Nuclear Fusion:
Yes, it’s nuclear. But those who do not know the basics about it, do not confuse ‘nuclear fusion with ‘nuclear fission’ which leaves behind radioactive debris. Fusion reactors, on the other hand, are the ultimate solution to our energy requirements. In short, we will never run out of energy source ever again.
The sun and stars are also powered by the same hydrogen fusion core so you can have a good idea of how resourceful it would be. The problem now is achieving the necessary conditions to trigger, contain and sustain the chain reaction. The power of the Sun comes at a cost of millions of tonnes of pressure and an equal amount of heat.
Fusion is not going to happen anytime sooner, but Fusion is the future, it is Holly Grail of all the science expeditions about energy generation that have ever been. We don’t know when will it happen, but not far off in future, nuclear energy generated through fusion will completely replace our current energy sources.
Conclusion
As mentioned aforetimes, the brave new leadership is willing to take the risks, so all these options are under consideration. World’s greatest green energy projects rest with the outcome of Breakthrough Energy Coalition, Global Apollo Program and Mission Innovation.
