Florida teen Hannah Herbst invents BEACON ocean generator for off-grid
Technology
Hannah Herbst, a 15-year-old from Florida, invented BEACON, a super affordable energy generator made from recycled materials and a 3-D printed propeller.
Inspired by her Ethiopian pen pal who didn't have reliable electricity, Hannah wanted to help people in off-grid communities get power using just the ocean.
Herbst plans to open source BEACON
Herbst's invention won the 2015 Young Scientist Challenge and caught attention for its potential to run essentials like desalination units and medical devices where electricity is scarce.
By saying she was going to open source BEACON, she's helping others build their own versions, showing how simple ideas can tackle global energy gaps.