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Reyhan Jamalova

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Reyhan Jamalova at the University of Pennsylvania.

Reyhan Jamalova is an Azerbaijani woman in STEM whose work is geared toward sustainable energy in rural areas.[1] She is the founder and CEO of Rainergy, a company that focuses on harnessing the power of rainwater to sustainably generate electricity.[2][3] Currently, she is an undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania.[4] Additionally, she has received a number of honorable mentions, awards, and/or honors for the work that she has done, including praise from the Azerbaijani government.[1][5]

Early life

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Childhood

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Jamalova became interested in human rights as a child. She, along with her best friend started a fundraising campaign for children in Somalia who had limited access to education, food, and water.[2] After collecting $10 by selling things like crayons and pencils, Jamalova and her friend (with the help of Jamalova's parents) brought this money to a charity.[2]

As a child, Jamalova and her family experienced torrential rains in the Caucasus Mountains.[4] These rains would lead to devastating events for the community such as the loss of crops, flooding, and general building damage[4] along with potholes and bridge collapse.[6] Growing up in this environment influenced Jamalova's interest in sustainability in order to help her community and others alike.[2]

Education

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Having been born in a small village, Jamalova did not have access to education in STEM and was expected to marry by the age of 17.[2] However, at the age of 12, Jamalova won the highest score on an entrance exam for a renowned school in Baku and moved away from her family to continue her education.[2] At age 15, Jamalova founded Rainergy.[1][7]

Jamalova received an admissions offer to the University of Pennsylvania along with a scholarship.[5] She is currently in her freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania, interested in majoring in computer and information science.[8] After she earns her Bachelor's degree, she plans to get a Master's degree in Data Science while working on Rainergy.[8]

Rainergy

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Jamalova, with the help of her friend and physics tutors,[7] worked for 4 months doing calculations and developing a generator to harvest energy from rainwater.[9] Rainergy was first introduced during a ClimateLaunchpad competition, where it was voted as the favored project among audience members.[10] The building phase of the project was initially funded by the government of Azerbaijan, but has since attracted other investors, including The Global Good Fund and Islamic Development Bank.[11]

The device is 9-meters-tall and consists of four integral parts: "a rainwater collector, a water tank, an electric generator and a battery."[9][12] The role of the rainwater collector is to fill the reservoir with rainwater, which will quickly flow through the generator and produce energy. This energy is then stored via a battery, which allows it to be used for energy even when there is a lack of rainfall.[10] This device reduces reliance on other sources of energy, such as local power grids.[9] Additionally, it is inexpensive.[13]

Jamalova and her team's initial prototype could light 22 LED lamps with 22W of power.[3] Compared to other alternative energy systems, such as solar panels, wind turbines, and piezoelectricity, Rainergy emits lower CO2 emissions with 10g per KW/H emitted during electricity production.[3]

Awards & honors

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Reyhan Jamalova". Forbes. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Rainergy: A story of determination, success and sustainable energy". www.unicef.org. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "| RainergyClimateLaunchpad". climatelaunchpad.org. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Ladderworks (9 July 2021). "Reyhan Jamalova: Turning Rain into Power for Rural Communities". Nasdaq. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Azerbaijan's young talent with bright future". AzerNews.az. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  6. ^ "As Mumbai Grapples With Water-Logging, A 15-YO Girl Is Making Sustainable Energy Out Of It". IndiaTimes. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  7. ^ a b "15-year-old Azeri Invents Way to Make Electricity From Rain". Haaretz. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Penn World Scholars Class of 2025 | ISSS". global.upenn.edu. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  9. ^ a b c "Only 16 and a CEO, Reyhan Jamalova is one of world's 100 most inspiring females | ummid.com". www.ummid.com. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  10. ^ a b Martin (6 July 2018). "Rainergy". United Nations Sustainable Development. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Partners". Rainergy. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  12. ^ Nazarli, Amina. "'If you can make energy from wind, why not from rain?'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  13. ^ "15-Year-old Creates Simple, Revolutionary Device That Can Generate Electricity From Rainwater". Good News Network. 19 June 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  14. ^ "BBC 100 Women 2018: Who is on the list?". BBC News. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  15. ^ "TRT World hosts World Citizen Awards". TRT World hosts World Citizen Awards. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  16. ^ "A young Azerbaijani selected as bp's 'Net Zero' scholar | News | Home". Azerbaijan. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
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