Green Light Reflections

Some exceptionally cool stuff

Grow .2, a form of solar ivy, is depicted covering the side of a house.

It’s pretty much exactly what you think: solar-powered “ivy”. SMIT (be sure to check out the pictures under the “Grow .1″ and “Grow .2″ links at the top of the page), a Brooklyn-based start-up company, has been developing an alternative energy system that resembles ivy crawling up the side of a building.

There are two versions of the system, Grow .1 and Grow .2. Grow .2 is the simpler version, which basically substitutes traditional fixed solar panels with a flexible covering of small, thin, flexible solar “leaves” that can adapt to most buildings. The modular nature of the solar panels makes replacing, repairing, and upgrading the lattice cheaper and easier.

Grow .1 is where things start to get really cool. Grow .1, which looks even more like ivy than Grow .2, is a hybrid energy source, harnessing both solar power and wind to produce energy. This system, which also utilizes a modular format, is made up of “bricks”, each of which hold five solar leaves. Embedded within each leaf are thin film photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight into energy. In addition, as each leaf twists and bends in the wind, tiny piezoelectric generators in the flexible “stems” of the leaves convert the movement into more energy. Not only that, but the system also uses reclaimed and recycled material whenever possible to minimize its ecological footprint. Pretty awesome.

Grow .1, a hybrid energy-delivery system that harnesses both wind and solar power.

Although the company name could use some work, SMIT is apparently getting someone’s attention, as is evidenced by the fact that they have been invited to include Grow .1 in the Design and the Elastic Mind exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City (to go to the broader exhibit site, click here – it’s pretty overwhelming, but fascinating).

I don’t know how well the devices actually work, or whether they’ll be revolutionary or not, but, either way, it’s all pretty damn cool. Don’t you think?