Between global warming and peak oil, researchers have been frantically looking for alternatives to fossil fuels. The latest of these is, apparently, the very place where we’ve been sitting to try to think of new energy sources.
According to Popular Science, South Korean researchers have managed to extract enough energy from a single drop of water to power a small LED bulb. In the US, the average person flushes 24 gallons of water per day down the drain. All of this means that we all, potentially, have a small hydro-electric plant in the corner of the washroom.
“A team of researchers in South Korea have created a transducer that translates water motion—from toilets, raindrops, or other water-based uses—into electricity. The technical side is wonky, but essentially, by using the motion from a tiny droplet of water—30 microliters—the team was able to power a small green LED. It’s a proof-of-concept demonstration, but scale up to a flushing toilet or a rainstorm, and you can see the appeal.”