The solar panels of the future could be a lot greener (literally) than the ones currently adorning our rooftops and fields. At least that’s the vision of 23-year-old Mexican biotechnologist Adán Ramirez Sánchez, whose solar energy invention puts algae under the spotlight.
Green energy from green panels
Called Intelligent Solar Biopanels, Sánchez’s technology is made out of microalgae and carbon nanoparticles, enabling it to generate clean energy and oxygen while absorbing carbon dioxide. Essentially, the invention uses photosynthesis to provide a double-edged environmental solution: purifying the air while generating clean electricity.
Both aesthetically pleasing and practical, the green, semi-transparent triangular Biopanels can be placed on almost any surface that gets sun exposure, including windows, walls, and roofs. According to GreenFluidics, the company behind the technology’s manufacturing, the panels could even be used to make works of art.
“Our patented technology, the Intelligent Solar Biopanel, is the only multipurpose system in the world based on microalgae and nanotechnology that allows you to save energy and provides well-being and health to your occupants, [while] giving a unique and avant-garde design to your buildings,” says the company’s website.
What’s also worth noting is that, compared to conventional solar panels that are typically landfilled at the end of life, the Biopanels are entirely biodegradable and are made from a widely available renewable marine resource.
Moving forwards, Sánchez plans to further improve the solar panels by equipping them with smart sensors that would monitor the environment, thus providing valuable data for addressing climate change.
