When the Industrial Revolution ushered in our reliance on machines for transportation and telecommunications, and the good life, it meant fossil fuels were a go-to source for generating power on a global scale. Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectricity that were once used to propel steamboats or to produce paper had taken a very distant backseat.It was only when our access to fossil fuels were cut off, as experienced during the energy crisis of the 1970s, did renewable energies get renewed attention. In fact, exploration of renewable energy solutions began in earnest around that time. Fast forward 50 years, and today renewable sources fulfilled 26% of our global energy requirements with nuclear accounting for an additional 10%. While the most recognizable manifestations of renewable energy are solar panels and wind turbine f ...