“Solar modules will finally reach the end of their lives and recycle or dispose of”, “will”
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In the mid -2020s, solar energy had become the cheapest form of electricity generation in history and the fastest growing type of energy supply. The lifespan of solar collectors had increased significantly to 30 or 40 years. After all, solar modules would still reach the end of their lives and need recycling or disposal. There were predictions that would have built up to 160 megatons of solar module waste by 2050. And although this was far lower than the waste generated by fossil fuel power, it was not nothing.
How much better, the scientists thought, if we could be implemented and even implemented ourselves.
In mid -2030 we could. Living solar collectors, also known as biological photovoltaics (BPVs), were installed worldwide. The calming, natural look of the technology was so attractive that it was growing of Yimbyism or “yes in my back yard” and spread quickly.
The first advantages were felt in rural settlements outside the Sahara in African sub -Sahara. While the technology developed, old buildings with BPVs were retrofitted in the form of green walls and roofs, and new ones were designed by architects that have included the solar collectors living from the beginning in their designs. To a greater or less extent, people became energy regardless of the networks. Another benefit was an increase in biological diversity and a corresponding increase in well -being.
BPVs act like fuel cells in the fact that electrons are transferred from a cathode to an anode and then generate an electrical current. In the biological system, the electrons are generated by Photosynthetic organisms before being transferred to the anode.
As early as 2011, scientists found the fascinating phenomenon of electrical leakage through cyanobacteria in sunlight. Place cyanobacteria on an electrode and you can run the electricity to small electronic devices.
But the electricity is weak – not many electrons left made of bacteria. In order to increase care, scientists such as Chris Howe at the University of Cambridge Cyanobacteria constructed more electronic devices.
In 2022, his team found that it was able to supply computers with only photosynthesis with electricity. The scientists soon found paths to scale the harvest of the electricity, and devices with living power supplies could be manufactured and installed worldwide.
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Members of Homo Photosyntheticus swore to limit their electricity consumption only to the one derived from photosynthesis
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A direct benefit was a strong reduction in demand for coin size that occurred many smaller devices. In 2025, these 3 percent of the global battery market made up and led to 10,000 tons of waste per year.
Since the scale and the output of BPVs improved, larger devices such as phones and even refrigerators could be operated on batteries that are charged by living solar cells. Electric vehicles were filled from arrays from biological solar collectors in garages and depots. The demand for metals such as lithium and manganese fell.
The devices also worked in the dark. At night, the cells in the light metabolize, which generates a similar amount of electrons and enables the performance.
The growth of living solar had many consequences. When the building started a green color, City Planner included more life in streets and public spaces. Even densely populated cities had a lavish, lively green appearance, flooded trees, plants and flowers and buzzed with insects and birds.
The success of BPVS inspired a small but committed group of people who aimed at chloroplasts, the organelles in plant and algae cells, which enable photosynthesis to include in their body in order to be exposed to sugar by light. Identify as members of Homo PhotosyntheticusThe group was inspired by animals such as the solar -powered sea leaf, the chloroplasts extracted from the algae, from which it feeds.
The snail has developed the funds to support and maintain the chloroplastic function, but has to fill up its chloroplasts every now and then. It is leaf -shaped and therefore has a relatively large surface for its size, but photosynthesis can only support a fraction of its energy requirement. For humans, without the cellular machines to support chloroplasts or a leaf -like form to increase the surface, this approach was only able to provide a negligible amount of energy.
Nevertheless for self -proclaimed members of H. PhotosyntheticusThe use of chloroplasts was very symbolic. The members underwent what they called Greening. It swore to limit its use of electricity to the electricity derived from Photosynthesis – not by fossil fuels! They also regularly tattooed with chloroplasts as a sign of their commitment.
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