A Filipino student developed a solar panel made from food waste that generates electricity using UV light, even without direct sunlight.

In a world racing to decarbonize, solar energy has long stood at the forefront of clean power solutions. But even this technology has its limits—particularly in places where direct sunlight is scarce or unreliable. Enter Carvey Ehren Maigue, a young engineering student from the Philippines, whose award-winning invention could shift how we think about renewable energy. By turning discarded fruits and vegetables into solar panels that harvest ultraviolet light, Maigue’s creation not only broadens the scope of where and how solar energy can be generated, but also addresses urgent issues like food waste, agricultural resilience, and climate adaptation. His work challenges the idea that innovation must come from large corporations or high-tech labs—sometimes, it begins with curiosity, compassion, and a fresh look at the natural systems all around us.

Harnessing the Invisible: A New Kind of Solar Innovation

While traditional solar panels rely heavily on direct sunlight to function efficiently, a new technology developed by Carvey Ehren Maigue, an engineering student from Mapua University in Manila, challenges that dependence by harvesting electricity from ultraviolet (UV) light—even in cloudy weather. His invention, called AuREUS (Aurora Renewable Energy and UV Sequestration), utilizes luminescent particles derived from food waste to absorb UV rays and convert them into usable energy, a breakthrough that earned him the inaugural James Dyson Global Sustainability Prize. In preliminary testing, AuREUS panels were shown to produce electricity nearly 50% of the time, compared to less than 25% for conventional systems, offering a compelling solution to the intermittent nature of solar power.

The inspiration behind the technology comes from the aurora borealis, where high-energy rays like gamma and UV light are absorbed by particles in the atmosphere and re-emitted as visible light. Maigue realized that similar photoluminescent compounds exist in fruits and vegetables. Through a process of extracting, distilling, and suspending these particles in a durable resin, he created a material that can be molded into panels or integrated between glass panes. When UV light hits the material, it is absorbed and transformed into visible light, which is then guided by internal reflection toward the panel’s edges. There, standard photovoltaic (PV) cells convert it into electricity—essentially enabling solar generation in low-light conditions where traditional panels would remain dormant.

This approach does more than extend the functionality of solar power; it also repurposes agricultural waste that would otherwise go unused or contribute to methane emissions in landfills. The technology offers a dual sustainability benefit: improving energy access in less-than-ideal climates and adding economic value to food byproducts. Although still in the early stages of development, Maigue envisions a future where building facades, windows, and urban infrastructure could become active solar surfaces, capturing power passively throughout the day. His aim is not just technological innovation but social impact—particularly in supporting farmers affected by climate change—demonstrating how circular design and clean energy can intersect in meaningful ways.

Image source: The James Dyson Award Organization Website

Turning Waste into Wattage: A Circular Approach to Sustainability

One of the most compelling aspects of AuREUS lies in its ability to transform agricultural waste into a renewable energy solution. By using discarded crops as a core component of the solar material, the technology directly addresses two urgent global issues: food waste and sustainable energy generation. Fruits and vegetables that would typically be thrown away due to spoilage or cosmetic imperfections are now being utilized for their unique bioluminescent properties. These compounds, once extracted and processed, become the foundation for a system that harvests light more efficiently and under a wider range of conditions than traditional solar panels.

This innovation holds particular promise for agricultural economies like the Philippines, where farmers frequently contend with crop losses due to extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change. Maigue’s process not only finds value in waste but potentially offers farmers a new stream of income by supplying raw materials for the panels. In this way, AuREUS is more than a clean energy breakthrough—it is a livelihood intervention. By linking renewable energy with the agricultural supply chain, the technology creates a model for circular sustainability that benefits both producers and end users.

Importantly, the use of food waste sidesteps many of the environmental concerns associated with more resource-intensive solar technologies. Standard photovoltaic panels often require rare metals and high-energy manufacturing processes, while AuREUS relies on biodegradable and readily available organic matter. This shift not only reduces the ecological footprint of panel production but also underscores the broader value of biomimicry—drawing solutions from natural systems to solve human challenges. As waste-to-energy innovations like this continue to develop, they could help reshape how we think about both consumption and conservation.

Innovation Meets Reality: Challenges on the Road to Adoption

Despite its remarkable promise, AuREUS is still at a developmental stage and not yet ready for large-scale commercial rollout. Like many pioneering technologies that emerge from university labs and competitions, it faces the challenge of bridging the gap between concept and implementation. One of the foremost hurdles lies in standardizing the production of the bioluminescent particles sourced from food waste. Unlike synthetic materials, organic inputs are inherently variable—affected by crop type, seasonal availability, and regional conditions. Ensuring consistency in extraction, purification, and performance is critical, particularly if the material is to be manufactured at scale and installed in a variety of environments with differing lighting and structural needs.

Beyond the raw materials, the system’s technical demands pose additional obstacles. While AuREUS panels have demonstrated the ability to harvest UV light effectively under test conditions, their long-term durability and efficiency in real-world scenarios still need rigorous assessment. The material must endure weather, moisture, temperature shifts, and UV degradation over time—all without compromising its energy-converting capacity. Furthermore, because the technology relies on guiding converted light to the panel’s edges where photovoltaic cells are positioned, design precision becomes essential. Improper installation or material flaws could significantly reduce energy output, making it less viable for widespread integration into buildings, windows, or vertical urban spaces.

Economic scalability is perhaps the most pressing issue. While the idea of using waste materials suggests a lower environmental and financial cost in theory, the infrastructure required to collect, process, and fabricate the panels on a meaningful scale does not yet exist. Competing against established solar technologies that benefit from decades of refinement and mass production, AuREUS will need to prove not only its ecological value but also its cost-effectiveness in a competitive and cost-sensitive renewable energy market. Still, Maigue remains undeterred. His long-term vision continues to prioritize both climate resilience and socioeconomic impact—emphasizing that innovation should not only anticipate the future, but respond to the needs of communities facing the brunt of environmental change today.

Rethinking Urban Spaces: A Vision for Passive, Integrated Energy

Maigue’s invention also invites a reimagining of how cities can become more than just energy consumers—they can evolve into active generators of clean power. Unlike traditional rooftop solar panels that are limited by space and orientation, AuREUS panels can be embedded into building facades, windows, or even curved architectural surfaces, dramatically expanding the potential for passive energy generation. This flexibility makes the technology particularly suited for dense urban environments where access to direct sunlight is inconsistent and vertical space is abundant but underutilized. In this context, buildings can become functional solar harvesters without sacrificing aesthetics or demanding major structural overhauls.

This concept aligns with a growing movement toward sustainable, multifunctional design—where architecture serves both environmental and societal needs. By allowing solar generation in places previously considered unsuitable, such as shaded walls or cloudy climates, AuREUS could democratize access to renewable energy, particularly in areas where conventional solar solutions fall short. The technology’s translucency also means that windows or panels can remain visually appealing and even artistic, integrating seamlessly into modern construction. Rather than being bolted on as an afterthought, renewable energy could be designed into the DNA of a structure from the outset.

Such integration represents more than a shift in materials—it suggests a shift in mindset. Instead of viewing sustainability as a separate system or technology that must be added, AuREUS encourages planners, architects, and policymakers to build with sustainability embedded at the core. By doing so, cities can reduce reliance on centralized energy grids, lower emissions, and create infrastructure that is both beautiful and functional. If adopted thoughtfully, this approach could pave the way for a new kind of urban environment—one that doesn’t just consume resources but actively contributes to a cleaner, more resilient future.

From Prototype to Paradigm: The Urgency of Supporting Ground-Level Innovation

Carvey Ehren Maigue’s invention stands as a reminder that the most impactful climate solutions often emerge not from massive corporations or government directives, but from individuals working at the intersection of necessity, creativity, and science. AuREUS is not just a novel way to generate solar power—it’s a case study in how sustainability can be localized, inclusive, and regenerative. It leverages waste instead of extracting new resources, supports agricultural communities rather than sidelining them, and invites cities to participate in energy creation, not just consumption. These qualities make it more than a technological breakthrough—they make it a model for how climate innovation should look and feel in the 21st century.

But ideas like this don’t thrive in isolation. They require robust ecosystems of support: from research institutions that nurture experimentation, to investors willing to back unproven technologies with long-term potential, to policymakers who understand that innovation often begins with small, unconventional steps. As climate change intensifies and the demand for cleaner energy sources grows more urgent, scaling these early-stage inventions must become a global priority. That means investing in infrastructure that can take ideas from university labs to commercial markets, while also ensuring that the social and environmental benefits of those technologies are accessible to the communities who need them most.

The story of AuREUS is still unfolding, but it already carries a powerful message: innovation doesn’t have to be extractive, expensive, or out of reach. It can be circular, community-oriented, and deeply aligned with both environmental stewardship and social justice. Supporting this kind of innovation isn’t just an investment in technology—it’s a commitment to a future where sustainability is woven into the fabric of daily life. For governments, funders, and citizens alike, the path forward is clear: seek out and elevate solutions that solve problems holistically, and remember that some of the most world-changing ideas may already be taking shape in the minds of students, in classrooms, and in places we least expect.

Featured Image Source: Carvey Ehren Maigue on Facebook