At Plant-e we regularly get all kinds of questions. Of course we want to answer you as quickly and as well as possible, but because of the crowds it can sometimes take a bit longer. For this reason we have written a handy FAQ, in which the most common questions and answers are mentioned.
So before you ask the question to us, you can quickly and easily find the answer yourself. Very handy.
Plant-e is aimed at everyone who is interested in green energy, innovation and likes to experiment with new technology.
For all products that you can purchase, see the webshop. For the products we are developing you can go to the technology page and the news overview.
The most important preconditions for our technology to work is that it is applied in an environment with sufficient water and plants. We are currently creating this environment ourselves by applying the technology to containers where the plants grow. Plant-e is currently developing a system that can be applied in existing, wet nature areas such as delta areas, flood plains, rice fields, mangroves etc. This means that this system can be applied in areas with both fresh and salt water.
The material we use for the anode and cathode is carbon material. To make a circuit, we use titanium wire as a current collector. These materials do not contribute to the generation of electricity and are only used to conduct the electrons.
We use non-conductive synthetic separation material as a membrane.
The Plant-e technology can (in the future) be combined with a water treatment plant based on plants. By applying our technology (in the form of the system that we still are developing) close to the roots of these plants, electricity can be produced while the water is treated by the combination of plants and technology.
It is possible to conduct a presentation on location, for a presentation of a C-level employee we ask 3000.- euro per part of the day. For the other members of the team the rate is 500.- euro per part of the day. all this is excluding travel and (possible) accommodation costs.
It is also possible to book a presentation with a tour at the Plant-e office, the same rates apply as mentioned above.
It is currently not possible to combine our technology with aqua or hydroponics. In the future, research may focus on this, but at the moment this is not part of our activities.
The power production of our modular system is sufficient to keep the application running, small flashing LED lights.
The plants will generate electricity day and night as long as the system has enough water. In the case of frost, the production of electricity temporarily stops. If the soil defrosts, the system will start up and produce electricity again.
A small system is easy to maintain by giving enough water and (if desired) pruning it. We offer maintenance contracts for the maintenance of large systems. These are aimed at both green and technical maintenance. For more information about the possibilities, send an email to office@plant-e.com.
The life of the product depends on the materials. The materials used by us are inert and will therefore not perish (they themselves do not wear down in the process of electricity production). The most vulnerable are the electrical circuits in the products, but these components are easily replaced by the accessibility of the electronics.
In principle, all plants that can withstand "wet feet" can be used. The technology works in a water-saturated environment, which means that the roots of the plants are also under water.
We often use grasses, because grasses can withstand water well and make an extensive root system.
For suitable plants, go to our plant list you can find here. This list is not exhaustive, so if you think that plants are missing we would like to hear this.
The system that we can offer at the moment consists of modules (bins) of 100x40cm. The plants and technology are integrated in these modules, the wires will not be visible.
No, this is not possible. The jars (or plant batteries) that you put together do not produce enough electricity to charge a phone.
The DIY boxes are meant to experiment with the technology and get started with this. A small LED light is supplied, which can light up on multiple plant batteries if sufficient power is generated.
The output per plant battery can vary from 0 to 0.7 V continuous. The voltage depends on various aspects (such as how well the plant battery is built up, the type of plant, the environment, etc.) that can hardly be predicted in advance. The wattage will vary from 0-1 mW.
By clicking here you can find a list of plants that we deem suitable for the DIY box. This list is not exhaustive, so if you think that plants are missing we would like to hear this. Contact us via our Contact page.
You can read more (scientific) information about the P-MFC the thesis of Marjolein Helder.
For help with profile workpieces you can contact with the sub-department Environmental Technology from Wageningen University.
Plant-e offers internships. Send an email to office@plant-e.com with your resume and a letter of motivation in which you clearly explain your background, the duration of your internship and what you would like to do at Plant-e. We will then see if we have opportunities to offer you an internship.
Before you send an email to apply for an internship you must know that:
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