Nepalese student invents cheap solar panel that uses human hair

The £23 Solar Panel: a Hair Raising Idea?

 An 18 year old Nepalese science student studying in the country’s capital, Kathmandu, has created a stir this week by announcing details of his inexpensive solar panel solution. Whereas traditional solar panel installations are costly, Milan Karki’s invention costs as little as £23 to produce a single fully functional solar panel. As to the main reason why it costs so little, the answer may surprise some people as it is, in fact, hair. Rather than using expensive silicon components that are necessary to conduct electricity in standard solar panels, Karki’s invention uses human hair, which is an excellent conductor of electricity.

 Milan Karki’s ingenious solution demonstrates how eco-friendly products can be driven down in costs. Furthermore, it shows natural products can be used to harness renewable solar energy, which reduces the manufacturing process, in turn reducing the carbon footprint left by producing such devices. Moreover, human hair is already exported in massive quantities from countries such as India and China as it is used by a number of farmers (typically to help tomatoes grow bigger) and, somewhat perversely, by the food industry (typically to make pizza doughs) – presumably this has something to do with the amino acid, Lysine, contained in the hair.  

Thus, it would appear the somewhat improbable hair business is set to increase further if Karki’s idea can be turned into a sustainable and viable eco-friendly product. Indeed, what started out as a greener solution to generate green power for his home village may just enable communities all over the world to do exactly the same. Of course, in the meantime, if you want to use solar power, there are a number of less ‘hair-raising’ solutions readily available in this country, including easy to use solar panel kits.

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