Student creates solar panels made from food waste that produces energy even on cloudy days
By Positive Thoughts
January 26th, 2021
From Thomas Edison to Nikola Tesla to Marie Curie and Steve Jobs. These people helped shaped our society today that if it wasn’t for their passion and need to make our lives better, we would still be using old devices to run our homes.
These investors and scientists are some of the most important people in society for they create new things that help make our lives easier.
However, man sometimes forgets about nature in its pursuit of more advanced and modern technology. With this, the Earth is experiencing climate change and deadly natural disasters that scientists are suggesting ways to reduce our waste and carbon emissions.
One particular student designed a new way of creating energy. And it’s not from natural elements such as air, or run? But, from food waste!
He created the system called AuREUS which is a system that absorbs stray UV light from sunlight and converts it to clean renewable electricity.
So, how is it possible?
Maigue uses the scientific principles behind the northern lights.
He said, “1 Excess UV exposure in urban areas is being induced by glass buildings. The inspiration for the solution came from how auroras were made. High energy (gamma, UV) is degraded to a low-energy state (visible light) by luminescent particles in the atmosphere. The tech is based on this concept and used similar functioning particles.”
Using this principle, he came up with the genius idea of turning food waste into energy
“High-energy particles are absorbed by luminescent particles that re-emit them as visible light. A similar type of luminescent particles (derivable from certain fruits and vegetables) were suspended in a resin substrate and are used as the core technology,” Maigue explained.
The solar panels he designed were made from food waste
“When hit by UV light, the particles absorb and re-emit visible light along the edges due to internal reflectance. PV cells are placed along the edges to capture the visible light emitted. The captured visible light is then converted to DC electricity. Regulating circuits will process the voltage output to allow battery charging, storage, or direct utilization of electricity,” the guy explains.
Using the luminescent particles derived from fruit and vegetables, the system allows high energy photons to be absorbed. With this, it can pick up UV that bounces on the surface even during a cloud day.
Due to his genius idea, he won the James Dyson Sustainability Award.
This award run in 27 countries and the main goal is to encourage the next generation of design engineers. This year, the award was given to Carvey Ehren Maigue, and he truly deserves it.
“We can use AuREUS instead of typical glass windows so that the whole building can become a vertical solar energy farm. AuREUS can become a part of our clothes, our cars, buildings, and our houses. This is the change we can make for the future,” he said.
And a lot of people are interested in his idea. Some of them commented on the following:
“This is absolutely fantastic.”
“I’m excited about the possibilities for this innovative product, and hopeful that Carvey Ehren Maigue is supported to make the most of his brilliant innovation.”
What are your thoughts about this solar panel? Are you excited and awed too?
