Teen’s invention boosts solar panel output 40 percent

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Nineteen-year-old Eden Full is going to be taking a few years off from her studies at Princeton. That's because she's been getting a ton of grants to finish developing her SunSaluter, a technology that allows solar panels to track the sun, boosting output by 40 percent.

Unlike other devices that let solar panels move to follow the sun, the SunSaluter doesn't use a motor -- instead, it turns because the different metals it's made of expand in the sun at different rates. That means Full's invention is about 1/60th as expensive as traditional solar trackers -- $10 versus $600 -- and simple enough to be maintained by kids in developing communities.

Here's Eden on why she does what she does:

My parents instilled a sense of responsibility towards the environment when I was younger and I carried this value with me throughout my life. I had the opportunity to travel to the Canadian Arctic two years ago where I witnessed the depressing lack of sea ice as a result of climate change, which made it hard for animals to find food and land. On a Zodiac boat ride, I had a chance to get within five metres of a polar bear that was so desperately hungry he didn’t even bother to turn away from us. This was an emotional moment for me when I realised that I had a chance to help prevent this problem from getting worse. I would have to help with the reduction of CO2 emissions.

straight to the source

• 19-Year-Old Winning Awards Left & Right for Her Solar Power Helper, the SunSaluter, CleanTechnica

[Danno 1,228]

Nineteen-year-old Eden Full is going to be taking a few years off from her studies at Princeton. That's because she's been getting a ton of grants to finish developing her SunSaluter, a technology that allows solar panels to track the sun, boosting output by 40 percent.

Unlike other devices that let solar panels move to follow the sun, the SunSaluter doesn't use a motor -- instead, it turns because the different metals it's made of expand in the sun at different rates. That means Full's invention is about 1/60th as expensive as traditional solar trackers -- $10 versus $600 -- and simple enough to be maintained by kids in developing communities.

Here's Eden on why she does what she does:

My parents instilled a sense of responsibility towards the environment when I was younger and I carried this value with me throughout my life. I had the opportunity to travel to the Canadian Arctic two years ago where I witnessed the depressing lack of sea ice as a result of climate change, which made it hard for animals to find food and land. On a Zodiac boat ride, I had a chance to get within five metres of a polar bear that was so desperately hungry he didn’t even bother to turn away from us. This was an emotional moment for me when I realised that I had a chance to help prevent this problem from getting worse. I would have to help with the reduction of CO2 emissions.

straight to the source

• 19-Year-Old Winning Awards Left & Right for Her Solar Power Helper, the SunSaluter, CleanTechnica

I guess there are two lessons to be gleaned from this story.

1. Despite all the money pumped into the pockets of "Green" businesses.... it takes a kid tinkering around in his dorm to actually make progress in trying to make Solar a viable option.

2. Even the most clever of kids are sponges for the one sided pap dished out to them on a. Global warming b. His ability to make a difference if the slight change is a long term trend.

With a little luck this kid will start making money on his ideas and then "Really" get an education as he tries to hang on to it.