Hannes Gerhardt Geography

Water filled, abandoned coal mines as a "natural" source of geothermal energy. Smart thinking. Who knew that a quarter of UK homes sit on abandoned mines?

How flooded coal mines could heat homes A quarter of the UK's homes sit above abandoned coal mines, long since flooded with water. Now, the mines are being put to a new, zero-carbon use.

Clearly, a shift in how we do energy is an absolute must in terms maintaining a planet that is hospitable to human habitation. Renewable energy is certainly a bit part of the equation. But shouldn't we be looking to de-centralize production as well? The future of energy will not be about centralized producers but about micro-grids where consumers and producers merge to become energy prosumers. Here's a little bit more about microgrids.

Smart Microgrids: The Future of Sustainable Power Fueled by renewable resources and controlled by smart algorithms, microgrids stand to overhaul how we produce, consume—and share—energy.