What made solar power the most desirable energy source on the planet?

In the mid -2020s, solar energy had become the cheapest form of electricity production in history and the type of energy supply to the fastest growth. The lifespan of solar panels had increased considerably, to 30 or 40 years. Finally, however, solar panels would always reach the end of their lives and need recycling or provision. There were predictions which, by 2050, up to 160 megatons of solar modules waste would have accumulated. And although it is much lower than the waste generated by the power of fossil fuels, it was nothing.

To what extent scientists thought that if we could do self-repair and even solar self-assembly panels.

In the mid -2030s, we could. Living solar panels, also called organic photovoltaic (BPV), were being installed worldwide. The soothing and natural aspect of technology was so attractive that it fueled the growth of yibyism, or “yes in my backyard”, and living solar spreads quickly.

The first advantages were felt in out -of -network rural establishments such as those of sub -Saharan Africa, where people could use BPV to provide energy for phones and computers, without the useless use of batteries. As the technology develops, the old buildings have been modernized with BPV in the form of green walls and roofs, and new ones were designed by architects who incorporated living solar panels into their conceptions from the start. In a more or less measurement, people have become independent of network energy. Another advantage was an increase in biodiversity and a corresponding increase in well-being.

BPV act as fuel cells insofar as the electrons are transferred from a cathode to an anode, then generate an electric current. In the biological system, electrons are generated by photosynthetic organizations before being transferred to the anode.

In 2011, scientists noted the intriguing phenomenon of electric leaks from cyanobacteria in the sun. Put the cyanobacteria on an electrode and you can harvest the current to power small electronic devices.

But the current is low – few electrons flee from bacteria. To increase supply, scientists, like Chris Howe at the University of Cambridge, have designed cyanobacteria to disclose more electrons and connected them to electronic devices.

In 2022, his team found that it could fuel computers using only photosynthesis. Soon, scientists have found ways to evolve the current harvest, and devices with living power supplies could be produced and installed in the world.

An immediate advantage was a sharp reduction in the demand of batteries the size of a room that fed many smaller devices. In 2025, these represented 3% of the world battery market and led to 10,000 tonnes of waste per year.

As the scale and output power of BPVs improved, larger devices such as phones and even refrigerators could be executed on batteries charged by living solar cells. Electric vehicles have been reconstructed from organic solar panels in garages and deposits; The demand for metals such as lithium and manganese has dropped.

The devices also worked in the dark. At night, the cells metabolize the compounds made in the light which produce a similar quantity of electrons, allowing a power.

The growth of living solar has had many consequences. While the buildings took a green shade, town planners have joined more life in the streets and public spaces. The still densely populated cities had a lush and vibrant green appearance, flooded with trees, plants and flowers, and buzzing with insects and songs of birds.

The success of BPVs inspired a small but committed to people who aimed to incorporate chloroplasts, the organelles of the vegetable and algal cells which allow photosynthesis, in their bodies to make sugar by a slight exposure. Identify as members of Homo photosyntheticThe group was inspired by animals such as the solar energy slug, which extracts chloroplasts from algae on which it feeds.

The slug has evolved the means to support and maintain the chloroplastic function, but it still has to complete its chloroplasts from time to time. It is in the shape of leaves, it therefore has a relatively large surface for its size, but photosynthesis can only take charge of its energy needs. For humans, without cell machinery to support chloroplasts or a form of sheet to increase the surface, this approach could only provide a negligible amount of energy.

However, for self -proclaimed members of H. PhotosyntheticusThe use of chloroplasts was very symbolic. Members have undergone what they called ecologization. They promised to limit their use of electricity to that derived directly from photosynthesis – not through fossil fuels! They also regularly tattooed with chloroplasts as a sign of their commitment.