After many attempts, scientists may have finally figured out how to generate electricity using rain.
What they have created is a generator that uses what is called a field-effect transistor-style structure that produces a surprisingly high voltage from water drops—a single drop can create enough power to briefly light up 100 small LED bulbs. Earlier generators without the structure produced “thousands” of times less instant power density, the scientists said.
There’s still work to be done to translate this to a practical product. A brief burst of energy is easy — accumulating enough of it for continuous power is another matter. Still, the potential uses are easy to see.
You could apply generators like this to the surface of anything where rain (or other water splashes) is likely to strike. Building rooftops could offset at least some of the electricity use from the people below, while electric boats could extend their range. It could even be used to power connected devices that regularly get wet, like umbrellas and water bottles.
