A breakthrough with lotus leaves has led to a type of rebirth in which the water from the plant is turned into an abundant and low-cost form of clean energy.
As the South China Morning Post detailed, scientists from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University have developed a "living lotus leaf transpiration generator" that addresses one major hurdle associated with hydrovoltaic power: Current technologies must be near water to generate a consistent supply of energy.
To overcome this, the team took advantage of a natural process in leaves known as transpiration. That is, the evaporation of water through leaves and flowers.
"The natural transpiration of plant leaves, as the largest water flux on land accumulating immense latent energy, has rarely been directly harvested," the researchers explained in their findings, published in the journal Nature Water.
However, by harnessing transpiration water in lotus leaves, the team achieved "sustained all-day electricity generation, featuring an open-circuit voltage of 0.25 V and a short-circuit current of 50 nA, which was effectively amplified in series or parallel connections," according to the study.
While generating large volumes of power from plant material might seem like a novelty, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explains there is much more water available in leaves than the average person might assume.
"During a growing season, a leaf will transpire many times more water than its own weight," NOAA wrote. "An acre of corn gives off about 3,000-4,000 gallons (11,400-15,100 liters) of water each day, and a large oak tree can transpire 40,000 gallons (151,000 liters) per year."
Professor Hu Qichang, the study's first author, told the SCMP that his team's transpiration generator needs further research and technical optimization before it could provide power in a meaningful way. Nonetheless, he believes the technology could become commercially viable.
The team estimates transpiration could provide the world with 67.5 terawatt-hours of electricity annually, making it another solution in the quest to transition away from polluting dirty fuels associated with millions of annual premature deaths and debilitating illnesses as well as an uptick in extreme weather events due to the warming effect they have on the planet.
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Because it doesn't need to be near water to operate, the transpiration device (which uses simple equipment) could be a perfect solution for rural farmers, according to Hu.
"Its core advantages are sustainability, eco-friendliness, and low cost," Hu explained to the SCMP, adding that maximizing energy collection and storage are crucial factors. Researchers have overcome the latter challenge for other forms of affordable clean energy, including solar, with solutions such as batteries, including ones made from abundant materials such as crushed rocks.
"In the future, this technology has broad application prospects in the fields of energy internet, smart grids, internet of things, and sensing," Hu told the SCMP.
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