Green Display’s BOTANICAL LIGHT: The future of plant-powered energy

“Sustainable production of energy by plants!”

Our first interaction with Green Display was learning about BOTANICAL LIGHT, a project aiming to produce light from plants sustainably! The idea itself was fresh and promising, catching our attention immediately. The world is in dire need of renewable energy. Can plants provide an additional source? One that protects nature at the same time? “Yes” is apparently the answer to both questions!

Getting to know Green Display

The name “Green Display” gives a hint about the company’s focus. Green Display Co., Ltd. offers environmental enhancements using natural materials, especially plants, in spaces where people gather, like commercial areas and offices. They aim to create a sense of comfort and enjoyment by incorporating plants into urban spaces, allowing as many people as possible to experience the joy of having plants in their surroundings and appreciating seasonal changes.

Their business concept is encapsulated by the term “Greening,” which conveys a strong appreciation for nature. They prioritize environmentally conscious material selection and construction methods, respecting nature while acknowledging the current era and environment. Their designs capture nature’s vitality, offering functional value infused with comfort, serenity, and freshness, sometimes even eliciting excitement. They also ingeniously use seasonal vegetation to represent changing seasons, captivating audiences with their narrative value.

Sustainability and Green Display

So we don’t want to be mistaken that Green Display’s primary objective was creating sustainable electricity from plants. Green Display began their sustainable efforts 30 years ago, which built a foundation and eventually led to the conception of BOTANICAL LIGHT.

Their first venture into waste prevention involved a project with a long-established jewelry brand during Christmas, a brand they’ve collaborated with for 34 years. Typically, fir trees used in the display’s designs were discarded post-events. However, embracing a discard-free Christmas spirit, they chose to donate the fir trees to schools and other facilities. This “mottainai” spirit has strengthened over the years, culminating in the establishment of GD Lab about seven years ago, under the leadership of Junichi Otsuka.

Though GD Lab didn’t prominently feature “sustainability” as a buzzword (given the term’s different connotations back then), they recognized the myriad benefits plants could offer for well-being.

Examples of GD Lab’s initiatives include reusing materials like wooden panels for various displays. This reduces the need for fresh procurement, and the high-quality reuse is a testament to the skill and creativity of Green Display’s team. As experts with materials, they also advocate for material circularity.

Green Display’s commitment transcends material sustainability; they also have a social impact. Their Ochanoki Project, which revitalizes abandoned tea fields, aims to highlight the importance of sustainable farming practices, the conservation of rural landscapes, and the rekindling of the deep connection between nature and human endeavors.

Our visit to Green Display underscored their passion for plants and their firm belief in the transformative power of plants. This commitment to sustainability permeates their organization.

Evolution in Sustainability: GD Lab

Otsuka always emphasized the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature. Consider the mutual exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, essential for both parties. Around 2015, Otsuka posed a pivotal question that later inspired BOTANICAL LIGHT: “Can electricity also be a part of this relationship?”

The timing was apt, as the world began reckoning with the climate crisis and its energy implications. We are approaching a change of an era, and BOTANICAL LIGHT can be the bridge for the shift.

Furthermore, it aligned well with Green Display’s mission to improve the world through plants. As more and more people began to look for alternatives and solutions, it became an external motivation for the staff of Green Display to develop a solution for the world.

Thus, GD Lab embarked on this ambitious project.

Inception of the BOTANICAL LIGHT journey

The initial challenge was that technology wasn’t keeping pace with the enthusiasm for “plant light.”

Although similar technologies were emerging globally, they had sustainability challenges in both traditional and contemporary senses. GD Lab experimented with various science kits, but the results weren’t potent enough for practical use.

However, GD Lab wasn’t starting from scratch. With seasoned electrical engineers familiar with display requirements, and a profound understanding of plants, they were well-equipped for experimentation.

A fortuitous encounter with Nisoul at a 2019 IoT exhibition proved transformative. As experts in electronic device design and system software development, Nisoul collaborated with Green Display, eventually conceiving a sustainable method to harness electricity from plant mechanisms.

Practicality of BOTANICAL LIGHT

The collaboration’s product debuted in 2021. It’s a simple setup: charcoal and magnesium plates leveraging plant biochemistry to produce electricity. The energy source is the plant’s health, emphasizing the need for maintaining moisture and soil quality. It is still in early development stages, so we should not be expecting the technology to be able to light up Universal Studios Japan or Huis Ten Bosch at its current stage.

However, at the moment, it provides sufficient light to light up the surroundings. This includes non-fill lighting in illumination events. It can also be applied for safety purposes, like providing electricity during disasters, or lighting up dark rural areas without high maintenance costs. It is certainly a merit since it can work in areas with low/no light.

Moreover, this technology extends beyond illumination. By producing electricity, it’s viable for IoT applications. One application could be to measure moisture content of agricultural fields, capable of sending signals when fields fall below a certain level of moisture.

The buzz around BOTANICAL LIGHT

When Green Display shared their development to the public earlier this March at the “Plants, the Future Energy!?” exhibition, the participants had the same reactions as we did: surprise and excitement. Not only because there was new potential for interested businesses to be more sustainable, it came at the right time of the climate crisis discussion.

After the initial excitement, practical inquiries emerged, such as cost implications and compatibility with Green Display’s client’s existing assets. While crucial, Green Display understands that addressing these concerns will be the challenge for the future, post-development phases. They’re eager to collaborate with clients to bring out BOTANICAL LIGHT’s long-term value.

Human-Nature coexistence: tackling larger challenges

Research on BOTANICAL LIGHT continues, with goals to enhance power output for diverse applications. Their clients actively support these endeavors.

And it’s hard not to root for them! Green Display envisions a renewed harmony between humans and plants, insisting that humans aren’t detached from nature. By fostering spaces that underscore this interrelation, they believe we can address today’s pressing challenges.

We urge businesses who have lighting needs for their events or spaces to have a chat with Green Display. Green Display’s showroom is always open for visiting, and the knowledgeable staff will happily share with you how BOTANICAL LIGHT works (contact page here).