Many countries are continuing with their reliance on unhealthy and non-environmentally friendly alternatives to satiate their energy needs. To reduce any such reliance, researchers in Peru have come up with a groundbreaking solution, i.e. the Plant Lamp.
Plant Lamp – a green innovation:
Researchers at Peru’s Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología (UTEC), after a lot of research, have developed a system that could generate alternative renewable energy using plants and bacteria. It has been designed keeping in mind kerosene lamps that release harmful fumes, so it enables people get rid of the same. Plant Lamp is an LED lamp that lights up a small area and uses a houseplant as an energy source.
Plant-powered LED Lamp:
It is named Plant Lamp because the LED lamp is actually powered by a plant. The plant releases some bacteria, called “geobacters,” on the soil it grows, which produce electrons.
The energy generation system installed on the inner side of the planter, which is a metal grid, harnesses bacteria to produce electricity. The planter stores generated electricity in a battery, which people can use as two-hours of bright LED light. This lamp is a cheaper, safe and good-looking alternative of traditional kerosene lamps.
People in developing nations or villages where there is no electricity or there is shortage of it can use this lamp. Apart from providing electricity, the Plant Lamp will reduce our dependence on kerosene lamps. This will leave a positive impact on our lives, as we will no more have to inhale those poisonous fumes.
From the environmental point of view, there will be reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions, as the Plant Lamp releases no harmful gases into the atmosphere. If a single plant can produce this much of electricity; it is not hard to comprehend the potential of a tree or a forest altogether.
Via: Livemint
