While the archaic design of non-motorized push lawnmowers might inspire backaches in those who remember using them, a very similar device could draw some 5-15 gigawatts of power from the ebb and flow of tides in the United Kingdom alone. 

While scientists have proposed any number of ways to turn hydrokinetic power into a viable and reliable energy source, trial installations simply haven’t provided the power at a competitive price point. But the Transverse Horizontal Axis Water Turbine (which goes by the totally catchy moniker “Thawt”) looks to halve the installation price of current set-ups and drop maintenance costs by some 40 percent. 

With energy generation per unit arriving at a solid 12 megawatts, these tidal turbines could stand in for wind-driven units in areas where aesthetic concerns and space restraints make the more traditional windmills infeasible. It’s important that renewable energy technologies offer municipalities and utility companies as many advantages as possible, as weaker economic conditions worldwide reduce demand for, and thus the cost of, crude oil.