A British company, Solar Botanic, has developed an artificial tree with leaves that each generate tiny amounts of energy as they flap back and forth in the wind and capture heat from the sun. The "nanoleaf", which looks much like what you see on well-designed fake trees, converts the mechanical stresses from wind blowing across it to the petiole, twig and branch and, from there, to one's house or business or into the grid.  In addition, the nanoleaf absorbs the heat from the sun and converts the thermal radiation into electricity, even after the sun has set. 

The inventors say the method is an outgrowth of biomimicry, an emerging science based on implementing some of nature's processes.  In this case, they are looking to produce clean, non-polluting energy without being an eyesore.

Other companies have begun to integrate solar and wind capture systems but I'm not sure anyone else is aiming for the aesthetic market in the process. I got really excited about the prospect but others in the office aren't so sure because of how problematic both solar and wind generation are in this area. 

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