Marcelo Ferla

Brazilian engineer pioneering renewable energy solutions for Amazon communities

Marcelo Ferla (b. 1990) is a Brazilian inventor whose Rainforest Power initiative has electrified over 150 remote Amazonian villages using innovative bio-hybrid systems. His 2021 breakthrough - solar panels coated with algae that doubles energy capture - earned him the Greenovation Prize from the World Wildlife Fund. Ferla's BioCombustion technology converts organic river waste into clean fuel, reducing deforestation rates by 18% in implementation areas. His Forest Guardians program trains indigenous communities to maintain systems while preserving cultural heritage.

Key partnerships include collaborations with MIT's Solar Futures Lab and Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE). Ferla's 2023 TEDx talk 'Powering the Unplugged' reached 1.8 million viewers. Recent innovations include floating solar farms attached to traditional fishing rafts, showcased at COP29's Innovation Pavilion. His open-source design platform EcoEngineers has been adopted by 23 countries, with UNICEF funding expansions into Congo Basin regions. Ferla was named one of MIT Technology Review's 'Innovators Under 35' in 2024.