BREAKTHROUGH: Could an Artificial Leaf Power Your Home? [MIRROR]

CREDITS: Uploaded by NewsyVideos on 29 Mar 2011

Transcript by http://www.newsy.com


BY STEVEN SPARKMAN
You're watching multisource environment news analysis from Newsy




A team of MIT scientists announced the newest breakthrough in solar energy this week. They presented their findings to the American Chemical Society. ACS says the new green technology mimics the original green.

"Scientists today claimed one of the milestones in the drive for sustainable energy -- development of the first practical artificial leaf. ... they described an advanced solar cell the size of a poker card that mimics the process, called photosynthesis, that green plants use to convert sunlight and water into energy."

The artificial leaf works by using sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Those elements can then be recombined to produce electricity, with water as the only byproduct. While the idea isn't new, Treehugger explains this is the first model that could be mass produced.

"...the new leaf debuted last week uses cheaper materials -- namely nickle and cobalt -- that could be scaled up in manufacturing."

Lead researcher Daniel Nocera isn't shy about what it would mean to start using water as fuel. He made some bold claims about his research in a talk at Poptech more than a year ago.

"Alright, so here's your message of hope. Alright, I'm serious. That pool, if I took it to hydrogen and oxygen per second globally, you know how much energy I'd get, that I can store? Forty-three terawatts. ... The bottom line is, I'm talking about solving the energy problem with an Olympic-size pool of water."

The technology hasn't been peer-reviewed yet, but that didn't stop the CEO of India's Tata Group from signing Nocera up to build a commercial product in the next year and a half. Livemint reports the company plan to use Nocera's technology to cheaply power the third world.

"Tata's hope is that Nocera's 'personalized energy' can produce a stand-alone, mini-power plant, perhaps a refrigerator-sized box, that could reinvent rural electricity supply and bring power to about three billion people worldwide who don't have it."

So do the claims around the artificial leaf sound too good to be true, or is solar finally king of electricity? Share your thoughts in our comments section.

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[Annafin62]

That´s so cool.

Nature is a teacher.

[mmaghfai]

@Annafin62 Yes indeed! I just hope it won't take 30 years to reach the public like some of the technology that has never been released offiially, like fuel-cell.TATA has invested in it, so lets hope they will do the right thing this time. I wish I had studied more chemistry to be able to do this myself...because the catalyst is made up of cobalt and nickel... and the water contains phosphorus in solution. Maybe independent scientists should try to replicate this and advance it and sell it to us

[darks3xy]

@mmaghfai We don't do anything by hoping, we have to DO something about it! pass the voice of DOING something and not HOPING!

[mmaghfai]

@darks3xy go on then! I have DONE something by downloading this video and re-uploading it so that those with the technical know how can see it and DO something with it....but of course those are my HOPES. If I had a few millions lying around for funding this research, then I would fund it. I HOPE you get my point. Peace ;)

[lupabuatchannel]

Steady I Really Like This Video You're watching multisource environment news analysis from Newsy

[cenedywong]

Good, I like that you share this video, I wish success always You're watching multisource environment news analysis from Newsy

[melisantika]

Nice Video That You Share , So Very Nice Thanks You're watching multisource environment news analysis from Newsy

[pemburuiklan]

I Really Like The Video From Your You're watching multisource environment news analysis from Newsy

[z0rr0rr0r]

Cool. It still remains the problem of stocking hydrogen, though.

[amifist]

its all very well and good but the goverment wont let it get to us because they cant charge us for water which is why they dont let that many normal hydrogen cars out, and if we do get these leaves the goverment is only going to go and charge us for water