In a paper published in Scientific Reports they describe an improved method for making electricity producing bio-photovoltaics using simple laboratory equipment. Researchers claim to be able to mix custom designed chemicals with just about any sort of green plants such as grass which will create a photovoltaic material that harnesses photosynthesis.
Basically you could take the chemicals and mix it with a bag of lawn clippings and paint it on your roof and create a cheap and effective solar cell. This new technology represents a 10,000 percent increase in efficiency over previous plant based solar cells. Experimental cells currently only product .1 percent of sunlight to electricity which would have be be improved at least 10 fold to make this practical according the Andreas Mershin who is one on the papers co authors.
This breakthrough comes after 10 years of scientists working to make electricity from plants a reality.
I look forward to seeing more results from this as it could really be a boon t efforts to harness solar power in a more green manner and more sustainable.