Scientists develop 'power plants' inspired by leaves that produce energy from wind and rain

Researchers have developed tiny leaf-shaped generators that can create electricity from wind or rain, giving a new meaning to the phrase "power plant."

The team built two types of collectors — one that could capture energy from wind and another that could collect it from falling raindrops.

They tested these multi-source energy harvesters by incorporating them into artificial plants, thereby creating literal "power plants." When the generators were exposed to conditions that mimicked wind and rain, they powered 10 LED lights in short flickers.

Under optimal conditions, these little devices can produce 252 volts from wind and 113 volts from rainfall, the researchers said, but only for short periods of time.

This isn't the first time the world has seen nature-inspired design when it comes to renewable energy. French company New World Wind is producing small-scale wind turbines that look like trees — a 36-leaf tree could generate enough electricity to power a four-person household for one year. Some models also integrate solar panels.

All of these creative developments are good news for our health, pocketbooks, and planet. In 2018 alone, air pollution from planet-warming gases caused $2.9 trillion in health and economic costs, according to the United Nations. Renewable, clean energies like wind and solar are one way to help us avoid these expenses.

Plus, renewables are getting cheaper. One study found that over the past decade, the cost of solar power has dropped by 87%, and battery storage costs have dropped by 85%. Wind power, heat pumps, and other clean technologies are also seeing a dramatic price drop.

Top scientists also agree that clean, renewable energy is an important part of the recipe to help us avert the worst impacts of a rapidly overheating planet.

As for the new "power plants," the researchers said that they can be further developed and integrated into larger systems or networks to produce clean energy (although they are aimed at "low-power" applications so far).

"Such proof-of-concept devices could be further advanced to develop energy-harvesting artificial trees to produce clean energy everywhere from gentle winds and rain drops," the paper said.