Remember in middle school when you made a clock powered by a potato? Well now the city of Hamburg in the Netherlands has taken that idea and used it on a grand scale—powering streetlights with energy source from plant’s photosynthesis. The Dutch company Plant-e spearheaded the initiative; they also make a suite of products from phone chargers to Wifi hotspots with the same idea. The 300 LEDs that light up one street in Hamburg might not seem like a big deal, but the technology could have vast implications for those living off the power grid. Similar set ups can be made with power sourced from rice patty fields. Imagine how bright the world could be.
Plants used to power streetlights in Dutch city
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