When it comes to capturing solar energy, plants are first in their class. Able to function at nearly 100 percent quantum efficiency, they can produce an equal number of electrons for each photon captured. Using these photons to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, the resulting electrons are able to create sugars that help the plant to live and reproduce. Researchers at the University of Georgia have developed a way to harness the power of the photosynthetic process to generate a clean form of electricity. Ramaraja Ramasamy, assistant professor in the UGA College of Engineering, explained how his team manipulated the biology for human advantage.

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Post tags: "clean energy", carbon nanotubules, electrons, journal of energy and environmental science, photon, photosynthesis, plants, quantum efficiency, ramaraja ramasamy, Solar Power, sun, thylakoids, uga college of engineering, University of Georgia, water issues

Much of the world’s human population has some sort of pharmaceutical running through their veins, and as it turns out, so does the planet’s streams and rivers. According to a report published in Ecological Applications by the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, drugs and other chemicals have found their way into the freshwater supply and are affecting the health of the ecosystem. The study looked at six common compounds and how they altered the aquatic organisms that create the slippery “biofilm” that covers rocks. Scientists found a dramatic decrease in algal photosynthesis and respiration as well as a change in the bacterial community.

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Post tags: algae, antihistamine, bacteria, biofilm, caffeine, cary institue of ecosystem studies, chicago, diphenhydramine, dr. emma rosi-marshall, drugs, ecological applications, fresh water, Indiana, indiana university, loyola university, Maryland, New York., pharmaceutical, photosynthesis, Pollution, respiration

When it comes to transforming the sun’s energy into commuter miles, it looks like photovoltaics beat out our best biofuels. A recent study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology investigated the relative efficiencies of the two technologies by focusing on traditional methods of turning corn and other plants into ethanol, turning energy crops into electricity, and using photovoltaics to directly convert sunlight into fuel. The team found that PV’s were far more efficient at creating “sun-to-wheels” energy for vehicles.

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Post tags: biofuel, cellulosic biofuel, CO2, corn, david stoms, electric vehicle, environmental science & technology, ev, ghg, greenhouse gas emission, james kallao, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, photosynthesis, pv, roland geyer, solar, uc santa barbara, US

When it comes to harnessing the power of the sun, nothing can quite compare to leaves. Using chlorophyll to convert light into usable chemical energy, photosynthesis has long been a source of inspiration for those looking to generate efficient renewable energy. With fossil fuels dwindling and polluting our environment, scientists are turning to the biological processes of nature to create clean electricity that can be used on demand. Researchers at the University of East Anglia, University of Leeds, and the University of Cambridge in the UK have been granted £800,000 to develop technology that mimics photosynthesis, with hopes of producing more efficient forms of renewable energy.

Read the rest of Scientists Attempt to Artificially Recreate Photosynthesis in Order to Develop Efficient Renewable Energy

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Post tags: bbsrc, biotechnology and biological sciences research council, chlorophyll, julea butt, microbes, photosynthesis, solar panels, Solar Power, sun, uea, UK, university of cambridge, university of east anglia, university of leeds

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Post tags: domegrown, Eco Architecture, Gardening, geodesic dome greenhouses, green design, photosynthesis, sustainable design

A team of researchers from the University of Bonn have split, seperated and reassembled an atom using quantum mechanics in order to simulate plant photosynthesis in next-generation computers. The research is part of a broader effort to build quantum mechanics bridges, which involves pulling atoms apart so that they touch adjacent atoms, thus forming a bridge between them.

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Post tags: atom experiment, next generation computer, photosynethesis computers, photosynthesis, quantum mechanics, university of bonn

Read the rest of X SEA TY is a Carbon-Absorbing, Algae-Producing Floating City

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", algae, biofuels, eco design, floating city, green architecture, Green Building, green design, photosynthesis, Sustainable Building, sustainable city, sustainable design, x sea ty, X-Tu, xseaty

Milan Design Week is still more than a month away, but we’re already excited about one eco design set to be unveiled at this year’s show – Panasonic’s dynamic  “Photosynthesis” courtyard installation. The company commissioned Japanese architect Akihisa Hirata to create a high-tech ecosystem out of their solar-powered consumer electronics and green gadgets. Part of the fair’s interactive and experimental Interni Legacy exhibit, the Panasonic courtyard will compare our technological need for the sun to a plant’s process of photosynthesis.

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Post tags: akihisa hirata, akihisa hirata photosynthesis, art installation, eco design, eco-art, electronics installation, green art, green design, Milan Design, Milan Design Fair, Milan Design Week, milan design week 2012, panasonic, panasonic photosynthesis, photosynthesis, photosynthesis installation, sustainable art, sustainable design

MIT researchers just officially unveiled a device that uses sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The device builds upon a breakthrough hydrogen producing technology developed in 2008, and they are calling it an “artificial leaf” because of it capacity to create chemical fuels directly from sunlight. The cell is also made from common materials like silicon, cobalt and nickel, which means that the “leaf” could potentially be mass-produced. If the technology proves itself it could create hydrogen fuel directly from the sun, which could be used for transportation, heating, and running fuel cells for electricity. Check out a video of the leaf’s bubbling action by reading on.

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Post tags: "sustainable energy", artificial leaf, artificial photosynthesis, biomimicry, clean tech, fuel from sunlight, green design, green technology, massachusetts institute of technology, MIT, photosynthesis, renewable energy, sustainable design

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Post tags: Alex Driver, algae, biophotovoltaics, biotechnology, Cambridge University, Carlos Peralta, clean tech, eco design, green design, lily pads, London Design Festival, MoSS, photosynthesis, renewable energy, solar, sustainable design

Scientist Dr. David Nocera has finally perfected a low-cost, artificial leaf-like device, that like a real leaf, mimics the process of photosynthesis. Nocera announced the creation of a miniature solar cell at the 241st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society last week. Nocera hopes to use his “leaf” to help make individual homes capable of becoming their own self-sufficient power stations.


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Post tags: American Chemical Society, ARPA-E, artificial leaf, artificial photosynthesis, Department of Energy, Dr. David Nocera, green energy, photosynthesis, renewable energy, Solar Cell, Solar Power

The US Department of Energy recently announced a five-year, $122 million grant to establish a new research facility in California with the goal of developing artificial photosynthesis. The Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP) will seek to develop methods to create fuels directly from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. Key targets for this research will be catalysts and light absorbing materials needed in order to break down water and carbon dioxide in order to directly create usable fuels such as hydrogen, methanol, and methane.

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Post tags: alternative fuels, artificial photosynthesis, California, clean tech, Department of Energy, DOE, green design, photosynthesis, renewable energy, renewable fuels, sustainable design, US, USDOE

Plants are excellent at harnessing solar power, so it only makes sense that scientists would eventually study them for hints on how to develop more efficient photovoltaic devices. Chemists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are doing exactly that–they have figured out a way to build PV devices inspired by the photosynthetic processes of plants.

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Post tags: alternative energy, green design, photosynthesis, photovoltaics, plants, Solar Power

It may seem too good to be true, but engineers from the University of Cincinnati have devised a way to capture and remove CO2 out of the air and then convert it into biofuel building blocks. The engineers have created an artificial photosynthetic material made from foam injected with frog enzymes, which combined with the power of the sun, converts CO2 into oxygen and sugar. With more research, the sugar could then be used to make ethanol or biofuel without the use of farmland or crops.

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Post tags: artificial photosynthesis, biofuel, Climate Change, co2 capture, co2 conversion, eco design, ETHANOL, foam, global warming, green design, photosynthesis, university of cincinnati

Inhabitat reader Raven tells us about the Solar Plant – a flowerpot-shaped charger that uses the sun’s rays to charge all of your portable electronic gadgets. This clever design from Ku Bon-Seop of South Korea features a set of solar panels that are mounted on the top of the charger. Just like real plants these panels convert light into renewable energy by utilizing the mighty power of the sun. The design is clean and simple, and its portability makes it easy to keep your gadgets powered wherever and whenever you find the need for some extra juice.

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Post tags: "solar energy", green design, green gadget, Ku Bon-Seop, photosynthesis, portable charger, solar panels, solar plant, Solar Power, solar powered charger

At first listen, it sounds like something that would go against the core beliefs of any eco-expert, but recent research shows that air polluted skies are helping plants to reduce global warming. A study from 1960 to 1999, led by Dr. Lina Mercado from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, was published earlier this year in the Nature scientific journal reporting that plants stored 23.7 percent more CO2—the leading greenhouse gas causing climate change—thanks to more efficient photosynthesis in plants shaded by smog. Does this mean that burning fossil fuels might actually be the solution to cooling the earth?

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Post tags: air pollution, Climate Change, CO2 emissions, global dimming, haze, photosynthesis, plants, reasearch, smog, study