Make:

Wonderfully clever idea, and a visually appealing art project, but I'd like to see how durable/efficient they are -- polyethylene degrades quickly in sunlight, and the "ivy and other crawlers" have evolved to compete for sunlight which means they may overgrow the array.

The solar/wind leaves do not compete for space, they replace the ivy.

I think it's a nice idea, too bad I already had it like 5 years ago and posted it to The Half Bakery (before their big crash).

The weather is typically windy or sunny, sometimes both, but rarely none of the above. In addition to creating energy it also creates shade (which is nice in sunny California).

My only question is "Is the cost in energy less than the cell will put out over it's actual lifetime?"

If "no", then this is pointless.

Subscribe today, save 42% and get web access to MAKE free. MAKE Digital Edition is available only to subscribers.

$34.95 / 1 year
(4 Quarterly Issues)

Subscribe now