Giant clams could hold the key to more efficient solar power advancements

Researchers at Yale University are exploring how the natural adaptations of giant clams might lead to improvements in solar energy technology. These mollusks use photosynthesis to gain energy from symbiotic algae that live in their cells. It is an efficient process that the Yale team hopes to study and see whether that knowledge can translate into making solar energy infrastructure more efficient.

"The truth is that clams are more efficient at solar energy conversion than any existing solar panel technology," said Alison Sweeney, an associate professor of physics and of ecology and evolutionary biology in Yale's Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Giant clams maximize their sunlight intake through a unique process that involves adjusting the spacing of algae clusters according to changing light conditions. This method intrigued scientists , who believe it could be the key to making solar energy infrastructure more efficient.

Currently, large solar farms capture around 25% of the sun's available energy at any given moment. However, the Yale team's research suggests that the clams' method of solar energy capture could achieve efficiency rates as high as 67% .

Their secret lies in what researchers describe as the clams' "optimized geometry." The algae within the clams are arranged in narrow columns. That allows each algal cell to experience nearly the same light intensity. This setup ensures that all the cells work simultaneously to capture the maximum amount of solar energy.

The clams can rearrange the spacing between these columns based on the sunlight's availability. In bright conditions, the columns are spaced wider to harness more energy. However, in low light, they are condensed to maintain high efficiency.

"Clams like to move and groove throughout the day," Sweeney said. "This stretching moves the vertical columns farther apart, effectively making them shorter and wider. One could envision a new generation of solar panels that grow algae, or inexpensive plastic solar panels that are made out of a stretchy material."

This adaptive mechanism can be at least 10 times more efficient than other photosynthetic models. The mechanism also offers a new perspective on how solar energy systems could be designed. The Yale researchers hope that these findings can eventually be applied to solar manufacturing. New designs could potentially lead to more efficient and adaptable solar panels.

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