Sparsh and Azaan won the Grand Prize at the CDE Innovation Day

Undergraduates Sparsh and Azaan won the NUS College of Design & Engineering Innovation Day Impact Accelerator Challenge for a grand prize of S$100,000 for the novel renewable solar-energy harvesting device.

Over 1.2 billion people globally lack access to affordable, reliable, clean energy, particularly in developing countries and densely populated areas. Existing solutions are often costly, land-intensive, or inefficient. Sparsh's innovation addresses this challenge by efficiently converting solar heat into electricity using advanced thermoelectric materials. This compact, modular device floats on water, using abundant water surfaces instead of valuable land space. This device aims to make clean energy more accessible and affordable, potentially transforming energy access for millions in underserved communities.