When people talk about clean energy, they usually picture windmills and solar panels. In Manizales, one research team took a different route; they looked at what is left after a harvest and asked, could this power something?
That question earned Professor Elisabeth Restrepo Parra a national spotlight. She won the 2025 Premio Nacional al Inventor Colombiano in the Research category for an organic battery made from agroindustrial waste.
Instead of lithium and heavy metals, the battery used materials linked to panela sugarcane residues, banana peel, and avocado seeds. The goal was simple: turn everyday leftovers into a low-cost way to store energy.
A prize that puts Manizales on the map
The award is organized by Colombia’s Superintendence of Industry and Commerce, and it has recognized inventors since 1983. It rewards new or improved products and technologies that can help the country’s industrial and tech development.
Restrepo, who leads Innterfaz CDT at the National University of Colombia in Manizales, was the only nominee and winner from Manizales and Caldas. She shared the recognition with researchers Pedro Jose Arango and Favio Nicolas Rosero Rodriguez.
The winning battery was also framed as one of the “six great ideas” selected in the 2025 edition. Beyond the trophy, the prize aims to promote patent protection and visibility for Colombian inventions.
What an organic battery is, in plain words
An organic battery is a broad term, but the basic idea is easy. Instead of relying only on metal-based materials, it can use carbon-based compounds and other bio-derived ingredients to store and release energy.
Why does that matter? Conventional batteries often depend on metals that require mining and complex supply chains. Organic designs try to reduce that pressure, and some aim to cut toxic waste at the end of a battery’s life.
This Manizales project started from common leftovers. It used residues from panela sugarcane, banana peel, and avocado seed, materials that are abundant and cheap, but often treated as trash.
From trash to tech, how the idea helps
Agroindustrial waste is a real issue. If it is not managed well, it can create odors, pests, and extra emissions while decomposing. Turning part of that stream into battery components can add value and reduce disposal problems.
This also connects to energy storage, which is becoming more important. Solar and wind power are clean, but they are not constant, so batteries help store energy for later use, even for small devices and sensors.
This is not replacing industrial lithium batteries tomorrow. It is a research path that shows how local materials can be explored for future storage technologies, and why local labs matter.
Food waste has already been studied for battery-related materials in other research, too. For example, one peer-reviewed study described porous carbon derived from banana peel waste as a possible anode material for lithium-ion batteries.
That matters for two reasons. First, it shows that banana waste can be more than compost. Second, it hints at a future where Colombian crops support both food and new clean-tech supply chains.
What happens after the award
After a prize, the hardest part is moving from a lab prototype to something that can be produced and tested at scale. That includes stability tests, safety checks, and clear performance benchmarks.
The SIC award also pushes inventors to protect their work through patents. In the 2025 call, winners received promotion and recognition, plus support related to patent filing and fees.
Teams can also start with practical pilots. Think low-power uses first, such as environmental sensors, classroom kits, or backup power for small electronics, where sustainability and low cost can matter as much as maximum performance.
Teams also need real partners. That can mean coffee and panela producers who supply residues, engineers who refine the materials, and companies that can test prototypes in the field.
For Restrepo’s team, the next steps likely include more testing and partnerships with industry. If the battery proves useful, the payoff is less waste, more value for farmers and processors, and more Colombian innovation powered by local resources.