CHANDLER — A Valley teenager who designed a high-tech wildfire prevention system is working on an invention that could be a big player in the solar industry.
Prisha Shroff, a soon-to-be sophomore at Hamilton High School in Chandler, is fine-tuning her self-cleaning solar panels which detects how much dust is around the solar panel, then sends a signal to the panel, activating a wiping mechanism that removes dust that settles on it.
Shroff says this is only the beginning for her and that age shouldn't be a barrier to improve one's community and the world.
"I want to break the stereotype that you have to be older to be able to make a big impact on the world and that nothing is impossible," Shroff says. "My motto is 'Be curious. Dream big. Never give up.'"
She's also one of this year's "Junior Achievement of Arizona's 18 Under 18" winners, recognized for her wildfire prevention system.
Anne Landers with the Junior Achievement of Arizona says Shroff's problem solving skills for some of our world's biggest issues helped her earn the distinguished honor and not having her young age deter her ambition.
"She is sincerely looking at simple solutions that we can do that will make a massive impact for the long-term," Landers says.
Other projects Shroff is working on include solar-powered drones, helping NASA develop a rover for the Moon, and a tool that predicts what crops will grow better in a changing climate.