A family emergency inspired this Bihar teen to generate power from Sun and water. He later won a global climate award

Sparsh, a 17-year-old student from Patna, Bihar (India), received the prestigious Children’s Climate Prize in 2022 for his innovation, the "Thermal Floater," which converts thermal energy from the sun into electrical energy.

Inspiration Rooted in Power Outages

Growing up in a rural part of India, Sparsh regularly experienced power cuts lasting 2–3 hours daily. During periods of coal shortage, outages could stretch up to 6–8 hours a day. A turning point came when a member of his family fainted during a blackout due to extreme heat and lack of cooling. This incident motivated him to search for a practical solution.

Challenges with Existing Solutions

As Sparsh began exploring alternatives, he found that most available solutions were either inefficient, expensive, inaccessible, or required large amounts of space, making them unsuitable for many rural areas.

The “Thermal Floater” Innovation

His invention, the "Thermal Floater," is designed to efficiently convert thermal energy from the sun into electrical energy.

High Efficiency and Scalability

When arranged in an array, these modules can generate up to 10 kWh of electricity per day, making the system about three times more efficient than a typical solar panel of similar size.

Environmental Benefits

Beyond power generation, the modules offer additional environmental advantages. They help reduce water evaporation, thereby improving water availability for other uses, and also play a role in limiting algal bloom in freshwater bodies.