Using Plants to Make Green Energy

Abstract

New innovative ways are needed to address the climate change crisis. Burning fossil fuels to generate electricity is the largest contributor to global warming. Generating green energy using Biophotovoltaic Technology is one way to tackle this pressing problem. Biophotovoltaic Technology is the practice of harnessing electricity from the photosynthetic activities of plants such as moss and algae. The objective of this study is to maximize green energy production by testing this novel concept under different experimental conditions. We obtained 3 unique sources of moss and tested them under 5 different conditions: Control, Low Salt, High Salt, Low pH, High pH. Each day, voltage was measured at different time intervals until moss turned a brownish color and dried up. When voltages of Control samples were measured, all three sources peaked at similar values but on different days. Under Low Salt and High Salt conditions, peak voltage only reached about half of Control. Low pH condition was the only condition where the voltage exceeded Control. Measured voltage from High pH condition increased steadily over time, however, not reaching the same level as Control. Our results indicate that Control, Low pH, and High pH conditions generated higher electricity than Low Salt and High Salt conditions. In addition, voltage production was dependent on the source/quality of moss. In conclusion, we were able to generate measurable electricity using biophotovoltaics. Electricity production can be enhanced by increasing the amount of plant source and changing experimental conditions.