It is amazing the work that scientists are currently doing to investigate organic processes to create energy. Below are a few snippets I found that highlight some of the latest research in powering up from nature.

The first item is about photosynthesis so in essence they are using the natural methods that the leaf of a plant uses to create a source of energy.

The next story makes the very interesting point that we already do have the resources to provide the whole world with enough energy so there really is no excuse for the dirty power generators to maintain their dominance.

Following on with the theme of using nature to create power a Tel Aviv University team have discovered that the stripes of a hornet insect have a photo voltaic process.

Chemists Describe Solar Energy Progress And Challenges, Including The ‘Artificial Leaf’ (Nov. 6, 2009) Scientists are making progress toward development of an “artificial leaf” that mimics a real leaf’s chemical magic with photosynthesis — but instead converts sunlight and water into a liquid fuel … Record-Breaking Hydrogen Storage Materials For Use… – Source

Shifting The World To 100 Percent Clean, Renewable Energy As Early As 2030: Here Are The Numbers (Oct. 19, 2009) Wind, water and solar energy resources are sufficiently available to provide all the world’s energy. Their plan calls for using wind, water and solar energy to generate power, with wind and… – Source

In the course of their research, the Tel Aviv University team also found that the yellow and brown stripes on the hornet abdomen enable a photo-voltaic effect: the brown and yellow stripes on the hornet abdomen can absorb solar radiation, and the yellow pigment transforms that into electric power. The brown… – Source

The following reports talk about energy transport and polymer molecules, a bit beyond me I’m afraid but still fascinating. The next article is another take on the leaf technology angle and finally we wrap up with with a life cycle assessment of solar cell technology.

Hope everyone finds this as interesting as i did.

A team of McGill University researchers now reports how to visualize and study the process of energy transport along one single conductive polymer molecule at a time, a key step towards bringing these exciting new applications to market. Isabelle Rouiller of McGill’s Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, the team used… – Source

Orlin Velev, Invista Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the lead author of a paper published online in the Journal of Materials Chemistry describing this new generation of solar cells. Just as real leaves do, water-gel-based solar devices can act like solar cells to produce electricity, new research shows. (Credit:… – Source

The study sought to calculate the total energy use and environmental impact of the material collection, fabrication, mass production and use of organic solar cells through a comprehensive life-cycle assessment of the technology. To better understand the energy and environmental benefits and detriments of solar power, a research team from Rochester… – Source

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