Glass Leaf Produces Energy by Sweating
Electrical engineers in the US think that synthetic leaves could be used to generate electricity in a different way – by sweating.
The new synthetic leaves lose water through evaporation to create that mechanical water pump effect, and use it to generate power.
The System could be scaled up to produce artificial trees that generate power entirely through evaporation wherever there's a cyclical change in humidity. Although the modest power output is not enough to rival solar technology, Maharbiz thinks it could act as a complementary technology – the sunlight that generates solar power could also drive transpiration to boost the electricity generated.
Source: New Scientist