Student invents solar windows that don’t even need the sun to work

Carvey Ehren Maigue, a Mapua University Manila student, was named the first ever winner of the James Dyson Award for Global Sustainability. The James Dyson Award is an international design competition open to engineers from over 30 countries worldwide.

The 27-year-old from The Philippines beat over 1,800 entries from other countries with his groundbreaking idea: AuREUS.

What is AuREUS?

It is a renewable energy system used for windows and walls of buildings. The new invented material comes from rotting fruits and vegetables, it absorbs UV light from the sun and converts it into electricity. What makes it special is that unlike regular solar panels, the system works just as well even if the material isn’t receiving heat from the sun.

Maigue drew his inspiration from the northern lights. Particles are derived from fruits and vegetables and suspended in a resin substrate. When hit by sunlight, the particles absorb and emit light along the edges. Then, the light is captured and converted to electricity.

“Winning the James Dyson Award is both a beginning and an end. It marked the end of years of doubting whether my idea would find global relevance. It marks the beginning of the journey of finally bringing AuREUS to the world,” said Maigue.

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