Are plants more efficient at converting sunlight into energy then solar panels?

[lesliemorris85]

Now that scientists can look at events the happen on a femtosecond time scale, they will be able to fully understand how plants convert sunlight into energy. Will this improve our solar energy technology?

[russ]

Last I read plants were not at all efficient in relation to area - forget "femtosecond"

[lesliemorris85]

Last I read plants were not at all efficient in relation to area - forget "femtosecond"

Could you please give me a link to that article, please?

[russ]

Could you please give me a link to that article, please?

Try the search feature on your PC - works wonders!

[oliverbank]

Solar panels loose their efficency if they are over exposed to sun (over heated), using underwater solar panels can really solve this problem.

[russ]

Solar panels get damaged if they are over exposed to sun, using underwater solar panels can really solve this problem.

That is one very silly statement and then you try to leave your advertising link.

Do not do that again please.

[PNjunction]

I get over 3kw from the ferns in the backyard. The problem is that the solder-tabs keep breaking.

[SunEagle]

I get over 3kw from the ferns in the backyard. The problem is that the solder-tabs keep breaking.

Me thinks you have been smoking those ferns.

[lockpen]

That is one very silly statement and then you try to leave your advertising link.

[elt4all]

Plants are less efficient at capturing the energy in sunlight than solar cells mostly because they have too much evolutionary baggage. Plants have to power a living thing, whereas solar cells only have to send electricity down a wire. This is a big difference because if photosynthesis makes a mistake, it makes toxic byproducts that kill the organism. Photosynthesis has to be conservative to avoid killing the organisms it powers.