This topic emerged through a screening of emerging issues in science, technology and society in the context of the FET CSA OBSERVE.

http://www.horizon-observatory.eu/radar-en/index.php

The big picture

Meeting global energy demand in a sustainable manner is one of the most discussed global challenges. In parallel to the mainstream lines of research for new energy technologies and concepts more unconventional approaches are followed by several research and innovation teams. In line with the diversification of energy technologies, innovations in grids and overall system designs are key topics of the debate on energy futures.

The following specific aspects were emerging:

Global Challenge: Energy demand

Global challenge: How can a growing energy demand be met safely and efficiently? Renewable sources and innovative ways to produce energy are essential to reduce related CO2 emissions. Source: The Millenium Project - State of the Future;

Unconventional energy sources

A lot of new unconventional technologies and ideas to extract and produce energy emerge: Wind-turbines under bridges, geothermal energy (e.g. from volcanoes), shock-absorber, biomechanical-energy, underwater wind farms, energy from temperature differences in water or from salt content (blue energy), a lamp that gets its energy from a gravity mechanism, tidal energy, wave energy, energy from algae, energy from waste/sewage (through graphene seebeck effect), ocean thermal energy conversion, energy from spores, energy from dry ice/sublimation heat engine, energy from vacuum,  energy from space, energy kites, energy from electromagnetic waves (through metamaterials), copying energy strategies from animals (dark eaters), nuclear fusion (new designs), energy from surface tension. Source: Aggregation from several

Local energy production will power the smart grid

As the smart grid begins to take shape, a big push is emerging for more localized energy production. The idea is to deploy cheaper and more climate-friendly solar, wind, and fuel cell technology at the neighbourhood scale, with smart routing and storage. Watch for widespread decentralization of energy grids as digital intelligence and renewable energy technologies drive power production to the edges of our networks. Source: Institute for the Future IFTF;

Decentralisation of energy supply

Big utility companies are finding that small, local solutions might be the future of energy. Through small investments in GSEP (Global Sustainable Electricity Partnership) projects, these high-voltage utilities are experimenting with generating energy from renewable feed stocks available locally, such as biogas, hybrid wind-diesel micro-grids, solar powered water pumps, mini hydro power. Source: FastCoexist;

Wireless transfer of electricity

Wireless transfer of electricity is a future vision that interests many researchers. Source: Book: Technolife 2035: How will technology change our future? 

Energy Harvesting

Energy harvesting is the process by which energy is derived from external sources (e.g. solar power, thermal energy, wind energy, salinity gradients, and kinetic energy), captured, and stored for small, wireless autonomous devices, like those used in wear-able electronics and wireless sensor networks will more and more be powered by energy from kinetic energy, salinity gradients, solar power or thermal energy instead of batteries. The process of making these external energy sources usable for small de-vices is called “Energy harvesting”. Once new and efficient ways of harvesting energy from the environment have been found, more and more mobile devices can be powered by surrounding renewable energy sources. Also, once successful, more and more low-energy electronics may be developed and deployed in a variety of fields. Source: FET Proposals;

Energy from oxidation in human bodies

In this novel smart-cells exist which supply themselves with energy from a oxidation-process via ATP-molecules (Adenosintriphosphat). Source: Science Fiction Novel