Power Plants: Artificial Trees That Harvest Sun and Wind to Generate Electricity

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=artificial-trees-harvest-sun-and-wind-energy

May 20, 2009

Power Plants: Artificial Trees That Harvest Sun and Wind to Generate Electricity

A start-up proposes forests of fake trees with "leaves" that soak up sunshine and flutter in the breeze to generate clean solar and wind power. Could it just be crazy enough to work?

By Adam Hadhazy

While on a train ride to visit his sister in the Netherlands in 2002, where monstrous http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=wind-turbines-kill-bats">wind turbines now mar scenic views, Alex van der Beek got an idea: Instead of ruining the natural landscape with conventional technology, why not generate electricity from something that blends in—a fake tree?

Van der Beek—whose previous professional experience was teaching http://www.scientificamerican.com/topic.cfm?id=alternative-medicine">alternative medicine—founded http://www.solarbotanic.com/">Solar Botanic, Ltd., in London last year on the concept. Solar Botanic's ambitious plan involves bringing together three different energy-generation technologies—http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-does-solar-power-work">photovoltaics (aka solar power, or electricity from visible sunlight), http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=stirling-in-deep-space">thermoelectrics (electricity from heat) and piezoelectrics (electricity from pressure)—all in the unassuming shape of a leaf on its stem.

Place thousands of these units, dubbed nanoleaves, on a natural-looking, though fake plastic tree—and one could have electricity production without http://www.flickr.com/photos/52074377@N00/1287775541/">spoiling natural landscapes, van der Beek says.

In addition to solar power, as rustling wind or falling rain disturbs the false leaves, nanogenerators in their petioles—the stalks connecting them to a branch—could generate small amounts of piezoelectrical power, van der Beek says. And thermoelectrics, like photovoltaics, take advantage of the sun, but rather than harvesting light, it converts the low-energy waves we feel as heat into electricity.

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[XemaSab]

1. .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHp7l3v7b_Q

[Laelth]

2. That's very interesting.

It's probably not practical, but it might be worth investing some R&D. It's certainly better than wind turbines.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Wednesdays]

3. K&R

:kick:

[Jim Lane]

4. I don't agree that wind turbines "mar scenic views" -- I like them (n/t)

[OneBlueSky]

5. fascinating . . . maybe I'll re-landscape my yard . . . :) n/t

[glitch]

6. Cool idea.

As long as it doesn't involve cutting down real trees, I'm in.