Some time ago we were talking about green energy generated by plants. Today we present to you a Spanish company pioneering an energy revolution: bioenergy exploited from the plant kingdom. They unveiled an advanced model of a biobattery, or biological battery, harnessing a community of microorganisms to generate a modest electrical current. Beyond powering up, this technology has other benefits, including temperature regulation and reduction of CO2 emissions.
In this article, you will discover:
How does a biobattery work?
Biobatteries are not a recent innovation; their potential began to attract attention in the 1970s. The fundamental principle behind biobatteries lies in electrogenic microorganisms– bacteria that exhibit an extraordinary talent for producing electricity during their metabolic processes. Analogous to conventional batteries, biobatteries include a positively charged terminal, called a cathode, and a negatively charged terminal, called an anode. When bacteria metabolize nutrients such as glucose and breathe, they release electrons and protons, which are harnessed by these terminals.
These biobatteries present a sustainable path to generate energy in environments teeming with organic matter and appropriate microbial populations. Among the most used microorganisms are E. coli and Shewanella oneidensis, nicknamed the “electric bacteria”. Yet, until now, commercial biobatteries have faced challenges such as restrictions renewable energy production and, more particularly, device instabilityleading to contamination and reduced effectiveness.
Concrete applications of biobatteries
An inspiring development comes from a Spanish company that launched its biobattery model in 2022. The project ran into a common stumbling block in past biobattery projects: failure of the device when confronted to the elements. The solution was to create a “bacteria hotel” an environment conducive to electrogenic or electrophilic microorganisms naturally present in nature.
The company's main model is a land panel integrated with an underground irrigation system. This innovation allows irrigation and rainwater to deliver essential nutrients and fertilizers to the base, where bacteria in microbial cells break down organic matter, simultaneously releasing electrons.
According to the manufacturer's claims, a A 7×7 square meter panel can generate 15 Wh/day, enough to power six small fixtures or a large lighting source alongside motion sensors. Additionally, they offer digital panels for real-time or remote power generation and battery health monitoring.
This technology, which is comparable in cost to traditional green roofs, has the potential to illuminate urban parks and gardens while powering IoT devices such as air pollution meters.
The first biobatteries have already found their place office buildings, parks, hotels and even Silicon Valley's 21st century landmark. Additionally, they can be seamlessly integrated into urban furniture, transforming benches adorned with plants into charging stations for cell phones. The company has also introduced other technologies, including a system that exploits plants' sensitivity to electric current as switches— just touching their leaves can turn lights and other devices on or off.
Advantages of biobatteries
The main attraction of these biobatteries lies in their respect for the environment and their sustainability, guaranteeing electricity production 24 hours a day. However, their benefits extend well beyond this primary virtue. The manufacturer claims that integrated irrigation can result in water savings of up to 50%, with a surface lowered temperatures up to 4ºC and CO2 emissions reduced by up to 334.4 grams per square meter annually.
If you want to learn more about the world of biobatteries or biological batteries, you can check out This item which explores the technology in depth and talks about a new generation of origami batteries. There are also other ways to produce electricity on a small scale and in a renewable way, such as triboelectricity.
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