Perspective-Micro Photosynthetic Power Cells

Micro-photosynthetic power cell (μPSC) is one of the emerging energy harvesting technologies which harvests energy using light (photosynthesis) and carbohydrate metabolism in dark (respiration) for low-power (mW range) applications. μPSC is a green technology that not only uses solar power and algae, but also provides power in both dark and light conditions. This perspective article provides state of the art of μPSC technology in terms of fabrication, mathematical modeling and energy harvesting circuit design. Currently, low power densities and high cost are the factors limiting μPSCs commercialization. Key aspects and methods to enhance the performance and decrease the cost are proposed in this paper.