ELECTRICITY FROM PLANTSELECTRICITY FROM PLANTS

A NEW SOURCE OF FUTURISTIC A NEW SOURCE OF FUTURISTIC SUSTAINABLE ENERGYSUSTAINABLE ENERGY

OXYGENOXYGEN FOODFOOD FUELFUEL FLOWERSFLOWERS WOODWOOD MEDICINESMEDICINES AESTHETICAESTHETIC

AND SO ON.....AND SO ON.....

PLANTSPLANTS

PLANTS CAN ALSO GENERATE PLANTS CAN ALSO GENERATE ELECTRICITYELECTRICITY

DEVELOPED BY A COMPANY CALLED PLANT- e.DEVELOPED BY A COMPANY CALLED PLANT- e.

DEVELOPED AT WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY, NETHERLANDS

PATENTED IN 2007

TECHNOLOGY ENABLES TO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY FROM

LIVING PLANTS AT PRACTICALLY EVERY SITE WHERE

PLANTS CAN GROW

THE TECHNOLOGY IS BASED ON NATURAL PROCESSES AND

DOESN’T HARM THE PLANT OR ITS ENVIRONMENT

THE TECHNOLOGYTHE TECHNOLOGY

PRINCIPLEPRINCIPLE

MICROBIAL FUEL CELL (OR GREEN ELECTRICITY)

PHOTOSYENTHESIS

+ ELECTROCHEMICALLY ACTIVE MICROORGANISMS

ORGANIC MATTERS PRODUCED BY PLANTS DURING PHOTO- SYENTHESIS.

PART OF THIS ORGANIC MATTER IS USED FOR PLANT-GROWTH.

A LARGE PART CAN’T BE USED BY THE PLANT AND IS EXCRETED INTO THE SOIL VIA THE ROOTS.

AROUND THE ROOTS NATURALLY OCCURING MICRO-ORGANISMS BREAK DOWN THE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS TO GAIN ENERGY.

IN THIS PROCESS, ELECTRONS ARE RELEASED AS A WASTE PRODUCT.

BY PROVIDING AN ELECTRODE FOR THE MICRO-ORGANISMS TO DONATE THEIR ELECTRONS TO, THE ELECTRONS CAN BE HARVESTED AS ELECTRICITY.

PRINCIPLEPRINCIPLE

A) PHOTOSYNTHESIS

6CO2+6H2O = C6H12O6+6O2

B) TRANSPORT OF ORGANIC MATTER

TO THE ANODE COMPARTMENT.

(C) ANODIC OXIDATION OF ORGANIC

MATTER BY ELECTROCHEMICALLY

ACTIVE BACTERIA

C6H12O6+12H2O = 6HCO3+30H+

+24E

(D) CATHODIC REDUCTION

OF OXYGEN TO WATER

6O2+24H++24E = 12H2O

PILOT PLANTPILOT PLANT

PLANT-E IS STILL IN THE PRODUCT-DEVELOPMENT STAGE.

HOWEVER, A FIRST LARGE-SCALE DEMONSTRATION

PROJECT IS IN OPERATION AT THE CRADLE-2-CRADLE

BUILDING OF NIOO: FOR A PROOF-OF-CONCEPT OF THE “GREEN ELECTRICITY

ROOF”. 

PILOT PLANTPILOT PLANT

GREEN ROOFSGREEN ROOFS

ONE OF THE MOST PROMISING PMFC

APPLICATIONS IS A GREEN ROOF BECAUSE

IT CAN COMBINE THE ADVANTAGES OF

THESE ROOFS WITH ELECTRICITY

GENERATION.

OTHER ADVANTAGES:

STORM-WATER RUNOFF RETENTION

HIGH AESTHETIC VALUE

INCREASED BIODIVERSITY

IMPROVEMENTS IN AIR QUALITY

BUILDING INSULATION AND

DECREASE IN TEMPERATUREWITHIN CITIES

ELECTRICITY GENERATION ELECTRICITY GENERATION POTENTIALPOTENTIAL

ELECTRICITY GENERATION POTENTIAL DEPENDS UPON:-

- TYPE OF PLANTS / CROP

- TYPE OF MICROORGANISM

- SEDIMENTS /SOIL

- WEATHER CONDITION

ELECTRICITY GENERATION ELECTRICITY GENERATION POTENTIALPOTENTIAL EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONSORTIUM IS WORKING ON

OPTIMAL ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION OF 3.2W/M2 (CURRENT 50mW/M2). ON A FLAT ROOF OF 50 M2 , 150W COULD BE CONTINUOUSLY PRODUCED.

ASSUMING AN AVERAGE ELECTRICITY NEED OF 500W, A GREEN ROOF COULD PROVIDE APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF A HOUSEHOLD’S ELECTRICITY NEED.

ENERGY USE BY THE HOUSEHOLD WILL DECREASE FURTHER DUE TO THE INSULATION CAPACITY OF THE GREEN ROOF.

SO ACTUAL ENERGY SAVING IS MORE THAN ONE/THIRD.

AT AN ELECTRICITY PRICE OF RS. 4.00/KWH, A 50-M2 ELECTRICITY PRODUCING GREEN ROOF COULD POTENTIALLY SAVE A HOUSEHOLD RS 5250 PER YEAR APPROX.

COMPARISIONS WITH OTHER COMPARISIONS WITH OTHER ENERGIESENERGIES

THIS CAN BE INTEGRATED WITH THE LANDSCAPES, FOREST AND FARMS.

THE POWER GENERATION IS LESS (APPROX. 1.6 MW/KM2) AS COMPARED TO WIND (5-7.7 MW/KM2) AND SOLAR (4.5-7.5 MW/KM2), HOWEVER IT IS CHEAPER AS COMPARED TO THE BOTH OF THEM.

THE POWER OUTPUT OF WIND FARMS AND SOLAR FARMS WILL BE THREE- TO FIVEFOLD HIGHER THAN THAT OF PMFCS.

HOWEVER, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF BOTH WIND TURBINES (AVIAN MORTALITY, VISUAL IMPACT, NOISE, ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE) AND SOLAR PANELS (VISUAL IMPACT, LOSS OF GREEN SPACE AND BIODIVERSITY, INCREASING DARK SURFACE, USE OF POLLUTING METALS) IS LARGE AND IS A SOURCE OF SOCIETAL DEBATE

PMFCS COULD OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ELECTRICITY GENERATION WHILE SUSTAINING THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

COULD PROVIDE 24 H/DAY ELECTRICITY GENERATION WITHOUT THE USE OF SCARCE MATERIALS AND WITH NUTRIENT PRESERVATION.

SOCIAL ADVANTAGESSOCIAL ADVANTAGES

PLANT-MFCS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED IN (SEMI-)NATURAL

ENVIRONMENTS SUCH AS RECREATION AREAS, RICE-FIELDS,

SALINE SOILS, ENERGY ISLANDS, SELECTED WETLANDS,

BIOREFINERIES ETC.

A MINIMAL DISTURBANCE OF THE SCENERY & PRIMARY

FUNCTIONS AND SO WITHOUT BEING COMPETITIVE WITH

AGRICULTURAL LANDS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR FOOD AND

WITHOUT DAMAGING THE ENVIRONMENT.

THE WORK OF WITH RICE PLANTS DID NOT SHOW

SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE OF RICE PRODUCTION WITH OR

WITHOUT MFC INTEGRATION.

USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN NTPCUSE OF TECHNOLOGY IN NTPC

ELECTRICITY GENERATION POTENTIAL AT ASH DYKES

LAWNS / LANDSCAPE/ PARKS IN TOWNSHIP / PLANT.

STREET LIGHT / TOWNSHIP LIGHTING.

SUMMARYSUMMARY

REFERENCESREFERENCES

www.nieuwbouwnioo.nl

www.plant-e.com

www.google.com

Encyclopedia Britannica