William Yuan was recently awarded a $25,000 prize for inventing a "Highly Efficient Three-Dimensional Nanotube Solar Cell for Visible and UV Light" that is 500 times more efficient than traditional solar cells. The kicker is that William is only 12 years old.
As you can imagine, William Yuan is an exceptional student Meadow Park Middle School in Beaverton, Oregon where he is in seventh grade. He has won numerous academic and chess competitions but knew he was "really onto something" when he created the three-dimensional solar cell. The three-dimensional orientation of the cells might help overcome the usual criticism that solar cells are not efficient enough energy producers to be a realistic solution to the current energy crisis.
William Yuan said he spent two years developing the idea. His research has won him a $25,000 scholarship from the Davidson Institute for Talent Development. His next step is to market the cells to commercial companies he hopes will manufacture the devise on a large scale.
Source with video: KATU