The widespread development of alternative energy around the world is leading many people to focus more and more upon what benefits this new form of production can bring about to us and our society, yet at the same time many people are overlooking the other major player in energy production’s role – water. Being used as a universal solvent, cooling agent and even energy production catalyst in energy production facilities such as geothermal or nuclear power plants, water plays an important role in generating the energy we need in our everyday lives. Unfortunately while many new alternative energy production facilities are being developed at the same time many locations around the world are facing water shortages that are becoming more and more pronounced each year, with drought being the top killer in some areas.

This concern is putting additional pressure on energy production methods that utilize vaporized water to drive turbines as well as those who require it for cooling methods in their standard production procedures, drawing attention today towards other ways to harvest and utilize water effectively in addition to pure energy generation. Rain collectors installed in roofs are one of the top methods being considered given their ability to effectively collect cleaner water that does not become polluted with any chemical runoffs that may be present in the ground that could be potentially harmful if vaporized during power generation. A 1,000 square foot roof, for instance, could harvest roughly 600 gallons of rain water with one inch of rain and ensure a clean, renewable water supply in areas with moderate rainfall on a regular basis.

Although currently most energy production is currently not facing major problems due to pre-established water supply infrastructures this is not expected to be sustainable should extensive additional development be done. While some energy sources such as solar and wind energy may be more beneficial in some ways due to their limited need for water the general energy development trends across the board mean that maintaining a careful equilibrium on both water usage and energy production may be necessary in the not-so-distant future.