13-year-old student creates device to generate green energy for just $ 5

Mendu Maanasa won a prize of $ 25,000 in a talent competition for inventing a device that makes it possible to generate renewable energy in an affordable way, at an approximate cost of $ 5.

The device captures the energy available around us to create clean energy. The device is called “Harvest” and uses a kind of “solar” leaves, capable of obtaining energy from rain, wind and sun, thanks to small solar cells.

At first his idea was to focus only on wind power, but with the help of his mentor, engineer Margaux Mitera, he discovered that he could use other types of renewable energy as well.

Energy is generated using a piezoelectric material, which generates electricity from a mechanical force, stuck in the device. The device is a bit clunky, but it serves its purpose of economical clean energy production.

This technique is not new, but interest has increased in recent years. It is hoped that these types of solutions are a way to tackle the problem of power supply in the long term.