Potato power: the spuds that could light the world

Jonathan Kalan Technology Battery Lighting Science & Environment Renewable energy Solar energy
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Thinkstock! "ith a simple trick# the h$mble sp$% can be ma%e into a battery# so co$l% potato powere% homes catch on&

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'ashe%# boile%# bake% or (rie%& )o$ probably have a pre(erence (or yo$r potatoes* +aim Rabinowitch# however# likes his sp$%s ,hacke%-*

For the past (ew years# researcher Rabinowitch an% colleag$es have been p$shing the i%ea o( ,potato power- to %eliver energy to people c$t o(( (rom electricity gri%s* +ook $p a sp$% to a co$ple o( cheap metal plates# wires an% LE. b$lbs# they arg$e# an% it co$l% provi%e lighting to remote towns an% villages aro$n% the worl%* They/ve also %iscovere% a simple b$t ingenio$s trick to make potatoes partic$larly goo% at pro%$cing energy* !0 single potato can power eno$gh LE. lamps (or a room (or 12 %ays#claims Rabinowitch# who is base% at the +ebrew 3niversity o( Jer$salem* The i%ea may seem abs$r%# yet it is roote% in so$n% science* Still# Rabinowitch an% his team have %iscovere% that act$ally la$nching potato power in the real worl% is m$ch more comple4 than it (irst appears* "hile Rabinowitch an% team have (o$n% a way to make potatoes pro%$ce more power than $s$al# the basic principles are ta$ght in high school science classes# to %emonstrate how batteries work* To make a battery (rom organic material# all yo$ nee% is two metals 5 an ano%e# which is the negative electro%e# s$ch as 6inc# an% a catho%e# the positively charge% electro%e# s$ch as copper* The aci% insi%e the potato (orms a chemical reaction with the 6inc an% copper# an% when the electrons (low (rom one material to another# energy is release%* This was %iscovere% by L$igi 7alvani in 89:2 when he connecte% two metals to the legs o( a (rog# ca$sing its m$scles to twitch* B$t yo$ can p$t many materials between these two electro%es to get the same e((ect* 0le4an%er ;olta# aro$n% the time o( 7alvani# $se% saltwater< soake% paper* =thers have ma%e ,earth batteries- $sing two metal plates an% a pile o( %irt# or a b$cket o( water* S$per sp$%s Potatoes are o(ten the pre(erre% vegetable o( choice (or teaching high school science st$%ents these principles* )et to the s$rprise o( Rabinowitch# no one ha% scienti(ically st$%ie% sp$%s as an energy so$rce* So in >282# he %eci%e% to give it a try# along with Ph. st$%ent 0le4 7ol%berg# an% Boris R$binsky o( the 3niversity o( ?ali(ornia# Berkeley* ,"e looke% at >2 %i((erent types o( potatoes#- e4plains 7ol%berg# ,an% we looke% at their internal resistance# which allows $s to $n%erstan% how m$ch energy was lost by heat*They (o$n% that by simply boiling the potatoes (or eight min$tes# it broke %own the organic tiss$es insi%e the potatoes# re%$cing resistance an% allowing (or (reer movement o( electrons5 th$s pro%$cing more energy* They also increase% the energy o$tp$t by slicing the potato into (o$r or (ive pieces# each san%wiche% by a copper an% 6inc plate# to make a series* ,"e (o$n% we co$l% improve the o$tp$t 82 times# which ma%e it interesting economically# beca$se the cost o( energy %rops %own#- says 7ol%berg* ,@t/s low voltage energy#- says Rabinowitch# ,b$t eno$gh to constr$ct a battery that co$l% charge mobile phones or laptops in places where there is no gri%# no power connection*Their cost analyses s$ggeste% that a single boile% potato battery with 6inc an% copper electro%es generates portable energy at an estimate% AB per kilowatt ho$r# which is C2<(ol%

cheaper than a typical 8*C volt 00 alkaline cell or . cell battery# which can cost A1B5:1 per kilowatt ho$r* @t/s also an estimate% si4 times cheaper than stan%ar% kerosene lamps $se% in the %eveloping worl%* "hich raises an important D$estion 5 why isn/t the potato battery alrea%y a roaring s$ccess& @n >282# the worl% pro%$ce% a staggering E>1#8:8#::B tonnes o( potatoes* They are the worl%/s n$mber one non<grain crop# in 8E2 co$ntries# an% a he(ty so$rce o( starch (or billions aro$n% the worl%* They are cheap# store easily# an% last (or a long time* "ith 8*> billion people in the worl% lacking access to electricity# a simple potato co$l% be the answer5 or so the researchers tho$ght* ,"e tho$ght organisations wo$l% be intereste%#- says Rabinowitch* ,"e tho$ght politicians in @n%ia wo$l% give them o$t with their names inscribe% on them* They cost less than a %ollar*)et three years on since their e4periment# why haven/t governments# companies or organisations embrace% potato batteries& ,The simple answer is they %on/t even know abo$t it#- reasons Rabinowitch* B$t it may be more complicate% than that* First# there/s the iss$e o( $sing a (oo% (or energy* =livier .$bois# senior nat$ral reso$rces o((icer at the 3nite% Fations Foo% an% 0gric$lt$re =rganisation F0=!# says that $sing (oo% (or energy 5 like s$gar cane (or bio($els 5 m$st avoi% %epleting (oo% stocks an% competing with (armers* ,)o$ (irst nee% to look atG are there eno$gh potatoes to eat& Then# are we not competing with (armers making income (rom selling potatoes&- he e4plains* ,So i( eating potatoes is covere%# selling potatoes is covere%# an% there/s some potatoes le(t# then yes# it can work@n a co$ntry like Kenya# the potato is the secon% most important (oo% (or (amilies a(ter mai6e* Smallhol%er (armers pro%$ce% aro$n% 82 million tonnes o( potatoes this year# yet aro$n% 82< >2H were lost in post<harvest waste %$e to lack o( access to markets# poor storage con%itions# an% other iss$es# accor%ing to Elmar Sch$lte57el%ermann# potato science lea%er (or s$b5 Saharan 0(rica at the @nternational Potato ?enter in Fairobi# Kenya* The potatoes that %on/t make it to the market co$l% easily be t$rne% into batteries* Pith" answer )et in Sri Lanka# (or instance# the locally available potatoes are rare an% e4pensive* So a team o( scientists at the 3niversity o( Kelaniya recently %eci%e% to try the e4periment with something more wi%ely available# an% (ree 5 plantain piths stems!* Physicist K. Jayas$riya an% his team (o$n% that the boiling techniD$e pro%$ce% a similar e((iciency increase (or plantains 5 an% the best battery per(ormance was obtaine% by chopping the plantain pith a(ter boiling* "ith the boile% piths# they (o$n% they co$l% power a single LE. (or more than C22 ho$rs# provi%e% it is prevente% (rom %rying o$t* ,@ think the potato has slightly better c$rrent# b$t the plantain pith is (ree# it/s something we throw away#- says Jayas$riya*

.espite all this# some are sceptical o( the (easibility o( potato power* ,@n reality# the potato battery is essentially like a reg$lar battery yo$/% b$y at the store#- says .erek Lovley at the 3niversity o( 'assach$setts# 0mherst* ,@t/s I$st $sing a %i((erent matri4*- "hile the potato helps to prevent energy being lost to heat# it is not the so$rce o( the energy 5 that/s act$ally e4tracte% via the corrosion o( the 6inc* ,@t/s sacri(icial 5 the metal is %egra%ing over time#says Lovley* This means yo$/% have to replace the 6inc 5 an% o( co$rse the potato or plantain pith 5 over time* Still# 6inc is D$ite cheap in most %eveloping co$ntries* 0n% Jayas$riya arg$es that it co$l% still be more cost e((ective than a kerosene lamp* 0 6inc electro%e that lasts abo$t (ive months wo$l% cost abo$t the same as a litre o( kerosene# which ($els the average (amily home in Sri Lanka (or two %ays* )o$ co$l% also $se other electro%es# like magnesi$m or iron* B$t potato a%vocates m$st s$rmo$nt another problem be(ore their i%ea catches onG cons$mer perception o( potatoes* ?ompare% with mo%ern technologies like solar power# potatoes are perhaps less %esirable as an energy so$rce* 7a$rav 'anchan%a# (o$n%er o( =ne .egree Solar# which sells micro<solar home systems in Kenya# says people b$y their pro%$cts (or more reasons than e((iciency an% price* ,These are all cons$mers at the en% o( the %ay* They nee% to see the val$e in it# not only in terms o( per(ormance# b$t stat$s#- he e4plains* Basically# some people might not want to show o(( their potato battery to impress a neighbor* Still# it cannot be %enie% that the potato battery i%ea works# an% it appears cheap* 0%vocates o( potato power will no %o$bt contin$e to keep chipping away* If you would like to comment on this article or anything else you have seen on Future, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter. httpGJJwww*bbc*comJ($t$reJstoryJ>28E888><potato<power<to<light<the<worl%J>