By Kate R.
Posted on Sept. 13, 2009. Listed in:
Clearly New Zealand is not the only nation with a 'number 8 wire' mentality. A Nepalese student has worked out how to conduct electricity through human hair and has successfully used it in place of silicon on a solar panel.
After reading a book by Stephen Hawking, the teen learnt that melanin was one of the factors in energy conversion and could potentially serve as a substitute conductor. He and four classmates set about making a prototype, which can now charge a cell phone or a pack of batteries for lights.
The panels are quite economical ($38 to produce) and could effectively bring power to thousands living in developing countries.
As reported on Inhabitat;
"Hair is basically a renewable resource and can be replenished by the owner of the solar panel as it wears out. This low cost and low tech device could be a revolutionary step in solar power bringing down the cost of the technology, bringing power to the masses and using materials which are common to everyone in the world"
The solar panels are 15 inches square and can produce either 9V or 18W of power. If mass produced the cost of these panels could be even cheaper and open the door to a wide, and exciting, range of possibilities.
It looks like the people of Nepal are giving kiwis a run for their money in the DIY ingenuity stakes - we'd best get inventing!
More great stories on Celsias:
Solar Concept Phone Doubles as Wristwatch
Kiwi Biofuel Iniative Scores International Recognition
Note: Photo courtesy of Inhabitat.
