As we seek to shift our global economy away from fossil fuels, we need to ensure that we are prepared for change and continue researching affordable and effective renewable alternatives. This year’s James Dyson Award winner in the sustainability category aims to provide such an alternative with an invention that makes renewable energy from rotting food scraps.
Called Aureus, the technology is the brainchild of 27-year-old Carvey Ehren Maigue, a student at Mapúa University in the Philippines. The novel device uses a material made from crop waste and can be attached in panels to windows and walls to help them absorb stray UV light from sunlight and convert it into clean renewable electricity.
As explained by the Guardian, the technology works by allowing high energy photons to be absorbed by luminescent particles derived from food waste, which re-emit them as visible light. Unlike solar panels, the Aureus system is effective even when not directly facing the sun, meaning that it could also create renewable energy on a cloudy day.
“I want to create a better form of renewable energy that uses the world’s natural resources, is close to people’s lives, forging achievable paths towards a sustainable and regenerative future,” said the inventor.
The post James Dyson Award: Winning invention produces clean energy from food waste first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.
As we seek to shift our global economy away from fossil fuels, we need to ensure that we are prepared for change and continue researching affordable and effective renewable alternatives. This year’s James Dyson Award winner in the sustainability category aims to provide such an alternative with an invention that makes renewable energy from rotting
The post James Dyson Award: Winning invention produces clean energy from food waste first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.