Imagine if plants could act like natural batteries for our electronics. This technology captures electrons released by bacteria as they break down organic matter around plant roots. It turns a garden or forest into a power source that keeps sensors running without ever needing a battery change.
IoT growth is leading to a massive accumulation of chemical battery waste, estimated at 66 million tons if current trends continue. Maintaining batteries in remote or urban green environments is costly and environmentally damaging.
A standardized platform stick and three product lines: Nature Inclusive Lighting and remote sensors for soil moisture, water level, and temperature monitoring.
If you are a city planner dealing with the high cost of wiring and maintaining park lighting — this project developed Nature Inclusive Lighting that provides low-lumen social safety lights powered by the soil. It removes the need for batteries and avoids interfering with biodiversity.
If you are an ag-tech company dealing with the waste of billions of batteries in soil sensors — this project developed a platform stick for soil moisture monitoring. It creates a maintenance-free system that powers the sensor directly from the living plants in the field.
If you are a conservationist dealing with the difficulty of powering sensors in remote tropical forests or wetlands — this project developed remote sensing devices for water level and temperature. These devices are robust and durable, eliminating the need for battery replacements in hard-to-reach areas.
Based on available project data, the business model is based on a combination of device sales and ongoing maintenance fees.
Yes, the technology is designed for deployment in any environment including agricultural land, wetlands, and tropical forests, with a standardized platform stick for various IoT applications.
The company has secured 2 granted patents to protect its core technology for harvesting energy from living plants.
The system provides a power source for sensors and data transmission, which has already been demonstrated by sending data into space via ESA.
Based on available project data, the project period ended September 30, 2024, and products like Nature Inclusive Lighting are already being marketed.
The project is led by a single SME, PLANT-E BV from the Netherlands. With a 100% industry ratio and no university or research partners in the consortium, the focus is entirely on commercialization and product standardization rather than basic research.
Contact CEO Marjolein Helder at PLANT-E BV
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