When considering renewable energy, solar panels are often the first to mind. Yet, with their environmentally-damaging silicon-semiconductor cores and excess space they require, they may not be quite the saviours we expect. Bio-technological researchers around the world, may however, have found the solution: Biological (algae-powered) solar cells.
GreenFluidics Bio-Panels being used similarly to Solar Panels
In tandem with research teams from Cambridge University, companies like SolarLeaf and Verde, Adan Ramirez Sanchez, and his organisation Greenfluidics – based in Mexico – have developed a triangular-shaped biodegradable panel that generates 328KWh/m2 of electricity and mitigates 200kg of CO2 annually. The panel also provides thermal protection to buildings, maintaining a comfortable temperature inside, saving another 90KWh/m2 of electricity. These cells save and produce enough energy to recharge your iPhone, empty to full, every day for 209 years. Regarding carbon offset, individual cells can cycle the equivalent of 9.5 trees annually.
In addition to the cells being beneficial to the environment, they’re also aesthetically viable for the construction environment; the clearness of the cells allows for incorporation into windows, roofs, facades, and furnishings, providing a wide variety of applications that don’t compromise design.
While the cells are currently in a testing phase they are expected to be in use by early adopters during the latter half of 2022 – exciting news for the prospect of renewables.