Raiki (Power Plant)

About

A tree that generates electricity

One in eight people worldwide do not have access to electricity, with eight-four per cent of them living in rural areas. Looking for a sustainable solution to this problem, Raiki offers a fully autonomous, easy-to-use, organic generator that makes use of the triboelectric (friction-generated electric charge) effect in plants. Small amounts of electricity are generated when the leaves on a tree come into contact with the bark and separate again. Using synthetic biology, the team behind Raiki have developed a leaf that optimises this contact, allowing one tree to generate 103kH/h. The energy is then conducted through the tree’s trunk and into a battery, supplying enough power for seven houses.