AKIPRESS.COM - 13-year-old Maanasa Mendu won the 2016 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge and became America’s Top Young Scientist. She also received $25,000 to work on her future projects, India Times reports.

Mendu created a cost-effective technology to create energy using solar leaves. The leaves generate energy from precipitation, the wind, and the sun using a solar cell and piezoelectric material (the part of the leaf that picks up on the vibrations) and the same is converted into different forms as per needs.

The leaves then work exactly like plants, receiving energy from nature. The device is designed in a way that it remains affordable, especially for those who need it the most; the cost is $5.

During a visit to India, Mendu observed few villagers who did not have access to affordable energy and water. She then got the idea of developing cost-effective technology to produce energy.

“This has been an amazing journey, and a great learning experience,” Mendu said in a blog post.

Initially, her idea only revolved around the prospects of wind energy, but then the cost-effective technology to create energy comprised of solar leaves looked like a better alternative.

“Along the way, I have learned so much about the process of innovation. Innovation is more than just a light bulb moment, it’s rather a continuous expansion very much like our universe,” she said.

Mendu aspires to facilitate energy to the entire world in an environmental-friendly way.

Apart from her, the other top four in the competition included another Indian boy Rohan Wagh, Amelia Day and Kaien Yang.

“Her scientific thinking reflected the competition’s goal of applying science to everyday life, creating a solution that will improve lives and strengthen communities around the globe,” Discovery Education and 3M wrote in a joint statement.