Solar Panel Made from Human Hair

Nov-26-12 A Nepalese teen has invented a solar panel that uses human hair instead of silicon, potentially lowering the cost of solar energy and making it more accessible to developing nations.

Inspired by a book by Stephen Hawking that outlines ways to create static energy from hair, 18-year old Malin Karki learned that the melanin in hair can serve as a conductor, replacing the more expensive silicon. Each hair-equipped panel is able to produce 9 volts of energy and costs $38 to manufacture—a price that can be reduced if the materials are mass produced.

A half-kilo of human hair in Nepal costs about 25 cents and will last for several months, and people can easily replace the hair in the solar panels themselves when needed.

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[INHABITAT.COM]
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