Second-year Chemical Engineering student, David Castelino, has been named one of Canada’s Top 20 Under 20™ by Youth in Motion, a national non-profit organization that develops and implements dynamic programs for youth. Castelino was recognized for his development of a thin-film solar tile, which uses solar paint made from organic dyes to convert the sun’s rays into energy. David was also awarded the Canada Foundation for Innovation Impact Award for outstanding leadership in scientific innovation.

David Castelino with his parents, Margaret and Patrick, at the Top 20 Under 20™ awards ceremony on June 3, 2010.

Biography:

A 2008 Manning Innovation Achievement Award winner, David has shown a passion for science, innovation and community involvement since childhood. Leadership roles with the SMART Network and the Mississauga Mayor's Youth Advisory Council are mature extensions of his early interests, which included creating holographic images and improving food labeling systems. In 2006, David designed an efficient, affordable alternative to silicon solar cells--a dye-sensitized organic solar cell that uses photosynthesis to create electrical energy at a higher rate of return. Sol-Tile is David's latest invention, a thin-film solar tile using solar paint made from organic dyes, which can easily fit existing roofing. This tile offers an inexpensive, sustainable source of renewable energy for use around the world. The Patent and Trademark Office Society has awarded David with a patent citation for his breakthrough invention.

Read More at: http://www.engineering.utoronto.ca/About/Engineering_in_the_News/06_04_10.htm