Nicole Kuepper, 23 has won two Austrailian Museum Eureka Prizes for her scientific research. She also won the People’s Choice Award, in which almost 16,000 members of the public voted for their favourite scientist out of six finalists.

She has developed a simple and inexpensive way of producing solar cells using ink jet printers and pizza ovens. This could eventually bring light and power to the 2 billion people in the world who lack electricity. And at the same time improve their qualtity of life, health and air.

As an passionate researcher trying to find solutions to climate change and solutions for the poorest among us… Ms. Kuepper may be able to bring this inovative “solar pie” to the market within five years. It could also prove to lower the cost of solar power around the globe.

“I love working with passionate people who want to help address climate change and poverty by thinking and experimenting outside the square” - Nicole Kuepper

photo: Kate Beraghty

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I just love this kind of passionate and innovative push toward solutions.

Well done and congratulations on your well deserved awards Nicole!

-Bruce

Spencer Ahrens, a 23-year-old mechanical engineer, was on MIT’s campus last week, holding a wooden plank, surrounded by onlookers.Slowly, he turned that wooden plank before a series of mirrors that had been placed inside an aluminum frame, until the wood caught fire.That was quite a moment, recalled Matthew Ritter, one of the onlookers.
“Let’s just say it was a small combustion for wood materials, but a giant explosion of solar energy,” he said.

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MIT group makes low-cost dish to tap solar energy