Mimicking nature to preserve nature – what a concept
July 2024 – I didn’t expect that attending my son’s college graduation would be the source of a blog post on sustainability. But as we approached for a tour of the Engineering Building where he took most of his classes, we were greeted by a large, robotic sunflower. Our son explained that it was a solar collector that provided most of the power for the building. Even more, it was designed to imitate how sunflowers turn throughout the day to follow the sun and then close at night.
Mimicking nature to preserve nature – what a concept. When describing the sunflower to a colleague I learned that this approach is a school of design called Biomimicry. I researched further and found a website for the Biomimicry Institute. They define Biomimicry as “…a practice that learns from and mimics the strategies found in nature to solve human design challenges—and find hope.”
Velcro
The most common example used to demonstrate biomimicry is Velcro. The Carnegie Museum of Natural History describes how In 1941, engineer George de Mestral noticed burrs sticking to his dogs when he took them for a walk. When he studied the burrs, he found their clinging was the result of hundreds of tiny hooks which, eventually, led to his invention of Velcro.
Back to the Sunflower
The sunflower that initiated my interest in Biomimicry is located on the Elon University campus in North Carolina. It was designed and manufactured by the company SmartFlower. In a detailed article on the schools website, they explain the design inspiration and features of the installation. “The SmartFlower unfolds each morning, follows the sun’s light at the perfect angle and retracts once the sun sets. The fully-integrated system is inspired by nature and will provide clean energy to the two newest buildings in Elon’s Innovation Quad. The SmartFlower is designed to mimic how sunflowers naturally absorb solar energy by moving with the sun. The device uses its internal programming and location data to track the sun from east to west and north and south to maximize renewable energy production,” the article explains.
The statistics are impressive
It will generate between 4,000 and 6,000 kilowatts hours of renewable energy annually
The innovative sun-tracking design will allow it to produce 40% more energy than a similarly sized fixed solar panel
I’m inspired almost every day by the number of people that are diligently working on answers to climate change. The range of innovative solutions that are emerging and becoming mainstream are impressive and may even be cause for optimism. It’s so easy to become fatalistic when being deluged with all the real-world examples of how our warming earth is causing devastation to the both the planet and its inhabitants. But, thankfully, there are forward-thinking people coming up with solutions like the SmartFlower. There are answers available and it’s up to us to follow the paths of possibility just as the SmartFlower tracks the sun.
I write content in the Nicholas Marketing Blog about topics I feel are important to finding solutions to climate change. I either recount an experience I've had or give my take on stories in the news. When I'm not writing for the Blog, I provide affordable digital content and marketing communications for sustainable businesses and organizations. From blog posts to social media content to email marketing campaigns, I help you create engaging and effective content that resonates with your audience. Contact me today to learn more.
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