Tiny light, big dream: Harvesting power from soil in Japan - Taipei Times

With the rise of artificial intelligence and data centers, concerns about energy supply are growing, and one man thinks he has a solution

By Hiroshi Hiyama / AFP, HITACHI-OTA

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Glinting in the night, halfway up a hill in Japan, the greenhouse-like Ku-An test lab is lit by electricity harnessed from 1,500 wooden boxes of soil and compost.Designer Satoshi Nakagawa has long battled sceptics, but believes that the technology powering the 800 LEDs has a role to play in solving humanity’s energy conundrum.And, failing that, it at least looks nice — and gets people thinking.

The Ku-An test lab glows in the night halfway up a hill in Hitachi-ota in Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture on May 9.