A Future of Sunlight-Powered Cars and Hydrogen-Fuelled Planes

Nuclei and sun-powered vehicles, emission-free data center ecosystems, and hydrogen-fuelled planes are just some of the potential building blocks of a cleaner energy future. IDTechEx's portfolio of Energy & Decarbonization Research Reports and Subscriptions is home to a number of growing technologies that are transforming the energy space for an optimized future.

 

 

 

Energy from atomic nuclei could be used to fuel electric vehicles in the future, as nuclear fusion technology harnesses their power. In addition to full-scale powerplants that can power cities, this technology could see up to 100kW of power being produced with modular fusion reactors or microreactors, used to power locations as remote as satellites or spacecrafts, or closer to earth with off-grid power sources for EVs. IDTechEx's report, "Fusion Energy Market 2025-2045: Technologies, Players, Timelines" covers the latest research and predictions for these future developments.

 

Avalanche Fusion, a new company exploring fusion energy, highlight 'drag and drop energy' as a concept of bringing fast power sources to remote locations without the need for infrastructure. One of their compact fusion machines, 'The Orbitron', could one day generate high energy neutrons from inside the office, and will be a leader for rapid nuclear energy developments.

 

Nuclear fusion provides a route to generating not only clean energy, a hot topic worldwide, but continuous power. Data centers are one example of where nuclear fusion could be commercialized, benefitting from the continuity that other natural energy sources such as solar and wind may struggle to provide. The company Helion Energy announced an agreement with Microsoft to develop the first fusion power plant by 2028 which will continuously supply clean energy, showcasing an existing plan for the future of nuclear energy as a viable power source.

 

 

Stationary hydrogen fuel cells could also compete to become the new face of power. Their independent structures could be positioned outside of office buildings or for telecoms - integrated into society as powerful, on-demand energy sources. The future will see sustainable power generation technologies scaled up, with hydrogen fuel cells using hydrogen and oxygen to create power and likely being used for powering high output systems and providing energy for continuous operations.

 

Whether its keeping data centers running or acting as backup power devices for areas with grid instability or limited power access, hydrogen fuel cells can provide a clean and emission free approach to generating electricity anywhere. IDTechEx's report, "Stationary Fuel Cell Markets 2025-2035: Technologies, Players & Forecasts", highlights proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) as the most favorable technology types within the market, particularly as pure hydrogen becomes more readily available.

 

 

 

A truly transformative application for green hydrogen could be in aviation. Aerospace engineers are envisioning a new generation of aircraft powered not by traditional jet fuel, but by liquid hydrogen. These planes, which would feature innovative designs to accommodate onboard hydrogen storage, could theoretically eliminate carbon emissions at the source, leaving only water vapor in their wake. While the technical hurdles are immense and this reality is likely decades away, major manufacturers are already developing concept aircraft. The pursuit of hydrogen-powered flight represents one of the most ambitious goals in the energy transition, painting a picture of a future where long-distance travel could be fundamentally cleaner.

 

 

Green hydrogen is emerging as a significant component in the transition to cleaner energy systems, particularly for sectors where direct electrification is challenging. It is produced through water electrolysis, a process that uses renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Because the electricity is from renewable sources, the hydrogen produced has a very low carbon footprint. While not a universal solution, green hydrogen is considered a viable pathway for decarbonizing specific, energy-intensive operations.

 

The most promising applications for green hydrogen currently are in so-called "hard-to-abate" industries. This includes providing the high-temperature heat necessary for steel manufacturing and serving as a key feedstock for producing chemicals like ammonia and methanol, which are essential for fertilizers and other industrial products. In transportation, its greatest potential is for heavy-duty and long-haul applications, such as trucking and shipping, where battery weight and long recharging times are significant obstacles. Furthermore, green hydrogen offers a method for long-duration energy storage, allowing excess electricity from wind and solar farms to be stored for days or even weeks and then used to generate power when renewables are not available, thereby enhancing grid stability. These applications and technologies are explored in depth in IDTechEx's report, "Green Hydrogen Production & Electrolyzer Market 2024-2034: Technologies, Players, Forecasts".

 

 

Whether run by nuclear fusion, hydrogen fuel cells, battery energy storage systems (BESS), or traditional wind and solar power, data centers are set out to be the ecosystems of the future, harnessing the best clean and renewable energy sources. These environmentally friendly approaches to powering data centers may help to successfully create the desired sustainable future for computing and data handling that many companies have been aiming to achieve.

 

With increasing energy needs, data centers have long been stretching grid capacity and resulting in high emissions with the ramping up of power, but the future will look different. Hyperscale data centers including Microsoft, Meta, Google, and Amazon, are beginning to pioneer the way to carbon neutral, leading novel renewable energy movements. "Sustainability for Data Centers 2025-2035: Green Technologies, Market Forecasts, and Players" is IDTechEx's latest report providing details on the newest technologies involved in reaching clean energy targets for data centers.

 

 

The sun has long been known as an unparalleled powerhouse, but the future could see it's light powering cars and offices with printable, lightweight, and flexible photovoltaic modules. Retrofitting electric vehicles with form fitting solar panels can help to increase vehicle ranges and eradicate the need for frequent charging stops. Commercial buildings also benefit from photovoltaics, saving long term energy costs with around the clock access to the sun's natural power.

 

Perovskite solar cells in particular are headed towards becoming the material of choice due to their unmatched low weight and flexible form factor. They are likely to see greater uptake as solar technology is more widely adopted, with their lower production costs also making them a favorable option for photovoltaics manufacturers. IDTechEx's reports, "Thin Film Photovoltaics Market 2025-2035: Technologies, Players, and Trends" and "Perovskite Photovoltaic Market 2025-2035: Technologies, Players & Trends" uncovers the solar technologies that can be deposited onto any surface structure, expanding beyond traditional solar applications.

 

 

For more information on the innovations creating the energy landscapes of the future, visit IDTechEx's portfolio of Energy & Decarbonization Research Reports and Subscriptions.