Muhammad Al-Haqiqi, a student of the Chemistry Study Program, FMIPA UI, won second place in the 2020 National Environmental Research Event (VIRULEN) Scientific Essay Writing Competition held virtually by Hasanuddin University (UNHAS), Makassar.
The good news was announced online via the Zoom Meeting application by the Executive Board of the Biology Student Association, FMIPA UNHAS on Friday (14/08/2020).
In the competition themed “The Role of Youth in Facing Environmental Problems Towards Indonesia SDGs 2045”, Qiqi chose the energy sub-theme for her scientific paper entitled “PANEL-E+” Efficient, Optimal, and Environmentally Friendly Solar Panel Technology Towards Indonesia Renewable Energy 2030”.
In her essay, Qiqi proposed an innovation that she hopes will become a renewable energy source in the future. This innovation is PANEL-E+, which features three thin-layer syntheses based on titania nanoparticles.
"So, my design innovation is PANEL-E+, which is equipped with an additional 3 layers of SiO2-TiO2 sol-gel and nanotexture on the outermost layer," Qiqi told the FMIPA UI public relations team via WhatsApp.
The advantage of SiO2-TiO2, said Qiqi, is that it can optimize the panel's efficiency in absorbing light quantum elements (photons) by ~ 40%, and its nanotexture can increase the efficiency of cleaning dust particles on the panel by up to 98%.
This is because the adhesive force of water particles becomes smaller, making it easier for water to slide quickly on the panel surface when cleaning dust particles.
Qiqi revealed that the background of her design refers to one of the largest solar power plants in Indonesia, namely the Oelpuah solar power plant in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), which is considered not optimal in meeting the electricity needs of its community, so that around 25,000 homes in NTT in 2020 still cannot enjoy electricity services.
"According to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, in 2020, approximately 25,000 homes in NTT still did not have access to electricity. This means that the electricity generated by solar power plants is still not optimal, or the efficiency of the solar panels is still low. Therefore, I propose an innovation called PANEL-E+, which has high efficiency to meet the electricity needs in NTT," Qiqi explained, concluding the interview.
