Affordable and Clean Energy
The demand for electricity is expected to increase as the world's population grows and cities develop. However, relying on fossil fuels and nuclear power generation is not a sustainable way to supply energy due to its impact on the global environment and various other issues. The key to solving the world's energy problems lies in how efficiently we can generate electricity using the renewable power.
- Rapidly growing population and cities
The world's population is growing rapidly.
In 2020, the world's population is approximately 7.8 billion. However, 10 years later, in 2030, the population will increase by 10% to 8.5 billion, in 2050 it will be 9.7 billion, and in 2100 it will reach 10.9 billion. With this population growth and the development of cities around the world, the amount of energy demanded in the world will also increase dramatically.
- Limitations of fossil fuels and nuclear power
The demand for energy is increasing all around the world, however, there is a limited amount of fossil fuels available for our generation, and if we continue to use them at the current pace, it is estimated that we will run out of most of them within 100 years.
In addition, fossil fuels produce carbon dioxide when they are burned, which can be considered as one of the factors accelerating global warming. As global warming worsens, the effects of the rising sea level may lead to the escalation of coastal disasters and food shortages due to climate change.
Nuclear power, which does not emit CO₂, was expected to be an alternative to fossil fuels. However, after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake, people's sense of resistance to nuclear power plants has been growing. In addition to the significant risks of earthquakes and cyber-terrorism, a large amount of radioactivity is generated from the "spent nuclear fuel" that is produced after the use of nuclear power, and cells exposed to a large amount of the radioactivity may have their DNA damaged. There are concerns about the probable effects of cancer and genetic disorders. Furthermore, it is said that it will take hundreds of thousands of years to detoxify the spent nuclear fuel, and the total cost including maintenance and safety measures will be enormous. If properly operated, nuclear power is one of the power generation methods for the future, but we have to be careful about its long-term use.
When we think about a sustainable energy supply to support our growing population in the long term, we need to develop a reliable energy supply other than fossil fuels and nuclear power.
- Green Power Energy and AST Motor
Natural energy is one of the most reliable sources for sustainable energy supply in the long term.
Natural energy is a part of the "renewable energy" and mainly refers to energy obtained from sunlight, water, and wind. Since these resources are constantly available from the natural world, there is no need to worry about depleting them like fossil fuels. In addition, they do not emit CO₂ and are safe, which makes them an ideal clean energy source for future sustainable world.
Applying our AST motor technology to natural energy generators (generators) makes it possible to create generators that are less than a quarter the size of conventional generators. The generator also uses coils, which is made possible by the AST coil lamination technology used in AST motors. The smaller size of the generator reduces installation costs and labor, thus encouraging the widespread use of clean energy. For example, by reducing the size of wind power generators, we can easily install generators in mountainous areas where they could not be installed before. In the case of hydropower, in addition to dams, it is possible to generate energy through "small-scale hydropower" by installing high-efficiency generators in each river. This will make it possible to generate power not only in Japan but also in other parts of the world where there is water flow. In addition, by applying AST motor technology to solar power converters, we will also contribute to the utilization of solar energy.
In this way, AST motor technology is crucial to the expansion of sustainable clean energy use for the future.