Who Needs Fossil Fuels when you have Danielle Fong?

Pushing the World towards Cost-Effective, Efficient Compressed Air Energy Storage

Danielle Fong, Co-founder and Chief Scientist of LightSail Energy, stood in front of a crowd for the Nantucket Project presenting a game-changing advance in sustainable energy with an important message stamped on the screen behind her: we are at a critical moment.

We have all heard the argument that climate change is real and is caused by human activity. We are reminded of this especially around the presidential elections. We may ponder about the issue, but Fong has dedicated her life to finding renewable energy particularly through air power.

Danielle Fong did not begin her path towards implementing a system to store energy through any conventional process. Our society has delicately created a step-by-step action plan for our youth. First, you must successfully pass grade school, then continue on to higher education, then begin a career. Many people who follow this path are very successful, but Danielle Fong took a different route by dropping out of high school and then enrolling in Princeton's PhD Program at age 17. Read her fascinating story here. Her atypical path led her on a passionate mission in finding a way to use renewable energy to ultimately save us from ourselves.

Her goal to change the way we use energy led her and her team at LightSail Energy to create the first air compression system that will allow people to use cost-effective sustainable energy every day.

Want to learn more about renewable energy? Read about it here.

Why use renewable energy and what are the benefits?

Danielle Fong along with Steve Crane co-founded LightSail Energy with a mission to eradicate our use of fossil fuels which wreak havoc on the Earth and replace it with our most abundant source: solar energy. Renewable energy is drastically cheaper than fossil fuels and, of course, is better for the environment. To express the severity of the issue, Fong in her presentation for TEDxDanubia, she explains that many businesses, particularly those that release carbon emissions, suggest that we are safe to use fossil fuels as long as the overall climate does not rise above two degrees. Does this mean that we are in the clear?

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, the global impact of the two degrees Celsius rise in temperature will be extremely detrimental. You can view an infographic that shows specific areas of impact here. There will be an increase in forest fires, glacier melts, and ocean levels by about 40 centimeters. Fong also used an infographic to show how the two degrees Celsius increase means that Amsterdam will become a drowning city, yields from corn and wheat will decrease, and oceans will become more acidic.

The problem is that renewable solar energy is only available during the day and not at night which would require storage in order for it to be used consistently. To solve this problem, Fong and her team at LightSail Energy were able to successfully create an air compression system that will allow air and heat to be stored in order to produce energy.

How does Air Energy Compression Storage Work?

In basic terms, this system will compress air that is heated through warm water spray. The air is stored in a tank and the heat captured by the water is stored, which is accessible for later use. Finally, the stored heat is sprayed back into the air which creates energy. Fong’s mechanism will allow users access to stored energy at peak times. Then, during off-peak times, the energy will charge to be used again. Although this may sound like a very complicated process, Lightsail Energy has created a groundbreaking sustainable technology that may just save and create a healthier planet and environment.

Benefits of Air Energy Compression Storage

• Cost: It is significantly more cost effective than other forms of energy. See the graph below from Danielle Fong’s blog.

• Production: The parts for compressed air storage come from engine part suppliers making its production feasible. LightSail even has members on their team that are experts in the automotive industry.

• Efficiency: Compressed air storage used abundantly throughout the world in replacement of the use of fossil fuels will rewrite a damaging future into a healthier, successful, thriving Earth.

Danielle Fong stresses that “we are at a critical moment” and action is necessary for the welfare of our planet and ultimately our lives. She urged during her talk at The Nantucket Project that we need to “make the difference now before it’s too late.” The issue of climate change and the need for sustainability through renewable energy is no longer being ignored; the government and big businesses are beginning to consider renewable energy initiatives and consulting from LEED professionals.

Read more about Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and what you can do to join innovators like Danielle Fong in sustainable efforts.

With all of the benefits that exist such as cost, efficiency, and environmental improvement, it is necessary to support innovators like Danielle Fong and those at LightSail Energy in an effort to reverse the damages that burning fossil fuels have created on our planet.

Fong, at the end of her presentation at The Nantucket Project, read an excerpt from American astronomer, Carl Sagan that will resonate with everyone and remind us to “cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.”

Interest in LightSail Energy? Visit their website www.lightsail.com