Page 11 - Environmental_Green Technologies
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Case 2: Electricity generated from Living Plants
The Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Technology Institute) in Pisa is harvesting electricity from plants,
an innovative application that allows them to discover that some plants have the capacity to transform
mechanical forces into electrical power. When the leaves move or touch another material, it occurs
a process named electrification, producing the flow of the power from the branches to the stem. The study
show that a single leaf can produce 150 volts, enough to simultaneously power 100 LED lights at every
movement. The plant keeps growing while electricity is produced; it is possible to produce food and nature
while producing energy (Acciona, 2019).
This innovation has been used at small scale such as lighting LED- lights and powering WiFi hotspots. The
system generates sustainable electricity and other environmental advantages.
Source: (EPRE, 2015)
