Nature's Energy Duo: Wind and Rain Power Artificial 'Plants'

• Harness the power of wind and rain with tiny leaf-shaped generators that can create electricity, offering a glimpse into a future of clean energy production.

Researchers have developed tiny, leaf-shaped generators that can create electricity from wind and rain. The "power plants" were described in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering and were tested by incorporating them into artificial plants. The team built two types of energy collectors: a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) to capture kinetic energy from the wind and a droplet-based energy generator (DEG) to collect energy from falling raindrops. The TENG produced 252 V of power and the DEG 113 V, but only for short periods of time. When the leaf-shaped generators were exposed to conditions mimicking natural wind and rain, they powered 10 LED lights in short flickers. The researchers believe this proof-of-concept device could be developed into larger systems or networks of power plants to produce clean energy from natural sources.

Can tiny leaf-shaped generators harness wind and rain to create electricity?

• The leaf-shaped generators, developed by researchers, have the potential to harness wind and rain to create electricity.
• The generators were described in a study published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.
• Two types of energy collectors were built: a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and a droplet-based energy generator (DEG).
• The TENG captures kinetic energy from the wind, while the DEG collects energy from falling raindrops.
• In the tests, the TENG produced 252 V of power, while the DEG generated 113 V, but only for short periods of time.
• When exposed to conditions simulating natural wind and rain, the leaf-shaped generators were able to power 10 LED lights in short flickers.
• The researchers believe that this proof-of-concept device could be scaled up into larger systems or networks of power plants to generate clean energy from natural sources.