C2C House by Mithun: Powered by Spinach!
by on 03.23.05
When we interviewed the C2C Home Competition organizers, we didn’t tell you about the coolest feature of Mithun’s winning house: it’s powered by spinach. An exciting prospect for both treehuggers and bald sailors (you didn’t think we’d get through a post about spinach without reference to Popeye, did you?), spinach proteins are sandwiched in glass, using chlorophyll to turn sunlight into power for the house. Years ago, this was as thrilling a prospect to my biology teacher as cold fusion was to the chemistry teacher next door. Now, the idea has helped win a contest for houses that can be built right now. It does seem cool beyond belief, but we’d love to know how it stacks up against more conventional photovoltaics in terms of cost, output, reliability, and that sort of thing. Via Gristmill ::C2C Home Competition [by KK]
from what i've looked up the photosynthetic cells aren't yet as efficient as the typical photovoltaics and are still under development. so i don't think this could be built right now as it is. i'm also curious where the winning team found their information about the efficieny of this technology, if it is what they say we can't afford not to use it.
Electrically conductive proteins are at the heart of current nanotech polymer research. It's what all the automakers are terrified of, that we right now already have plastic batteries in the lab which, scaled up, would do away with the internal combustion engine... But who will bring them to market? Not even the Segway team has the gonads to take on the GMs and GEs of this world... It's gonna be a job (again) for the little guys scurying for cover, ducking Men in Black.
Spinach photocells aren't a real product. They were only invented a few months ago and the inventors themselves stated it would take years to develop. I feel a bit scammed that the designers don't clearly state that the cells are just a concept. Here is the article about the real invention.
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2004/spinach-0915.html