Gravity Squeezes 40% More Power From These Solar Panels

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By Lauren Drell2013-12-02 21:04:56 UTC

At first glance, Eden Full may seem like a typical Princeton undergrad, but she's far from typical. The 21-year-old is a Thiel Fellow and inventor of SunSaluter, a rotating solar panel that pivots to face the sun without requiring a motor. Full didn't set out to radicalize the way the developing world sources power — she was a self-proclaimed "solar enthusiast" by the age of 10. But her ingenuity and a tip from someone at a international science fair led her down a path to optimize solar energy, so the panels produce up to 40% more electricity. And all it takes is gravity and some soda bottles.

For her work, Full was named Ashoka’s Youth Social Entrepreneur of the Year, and her SunSaluter won Mashable and the UN Foundation's Startups for Social Good Challenge in 2011. Oh, and in her spare time, she launched TEDxPrincetonU in 2010. Not bad for 21 years of age.

Watch the video above to learn more about Eden Full and how she embodies Purpose in Progress.

Tell us your thoughts on SunSaluter in the comments below.

Homepage image courtesy of Chandra Marsono/Flickr, SunSaluter image courtesy of Flickr/TEDxYouth@SanDiego

Topics: Gadgets, Purpose in Progress, Social Good, SunSaluter, US & World, World