14 DAY TRIAL // A Dutch designer named Marjan Van Aubel recently came up with the idea of taking everyday items and making them double as photovoltaic systems.
Since everybody eats, this designer put together a collection of so-called photovoltaic tableware (i.e. glasses and plates), which collects sun power whenever exposed to it.
Once the meal is over, the tableware is washed and placed in a special cabinet that sucks the energy out of them and stores it for later use.
“The glassware uses sunlight as a sustainable source of energy, but can also work under diffused light.”
“This makes them much more efficient for use inside the home compared to standard solar panels, which only work in direct sunlight and are not suitable for indoor use,” reads Marjan Van Aubel's website.
Apparently, the technology behind this glassware that doubles as solar cells was inspired by the process of photosynthesis in plants.
“Within each glass is a photovoltaic layer of dye Synthesized Solar Cell. (…) Like the green chlorophyll which absorbs light energy, the colors in these cells collect energy,” Marjan Van Aubel explains.