Picture: Bangunan dengan AuREUS karya Carvey
Source: Dezeen
- A student from the Philippines, Carvey Ehren Maigue created technology by processing food waste into a source of electrical energy for homes and offices.
- AuREUS is an evolution of walls and windows with technology synthesized from recycled plant waste.
- AuREUS can help fight the problem of UV absorption and provide better access to solar energy for climate change mitigation.
Waste can be processed into renewable energy sources that can generate electricity and has been widely applied to various technologies. One of them is the waste power plant, which utilizes waste to produce renewable electricity.
Processing waste into renewable energy can reduce environmental problems, which are currently still the main issue that is often discussed. Therefore, the processing of waste into renewable energy must continue to be improved in order to achieve the target of the renewable energy mix.
Making waste into renewable electricity has gained popularity. However, a student from the Philippines, Carvey Ehren Maigue, created a new innovation through food waste. Carvey created technology by processing food waste into a source of electrical energy for homes and offices. The technology is called AuREus, and it won the James Dyson Award.
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AuREUS is an evolution of walls and windows with technology synthesized from recycled plant waste. This AuREUS can absorb UV rays from sunlight and convert them into clean, renewable electricity. This AuREUS system can still work when the weather is cloudy and there is no sunlight as its energy source.
This technology can be considered solar panels because the system works by utilizing sunlight to produce electrical energy. Previously, we knew that solar panels were mostly made of silicon material, but Carvey made his solar panels from processed food waste.
With this, AuREUS can help fight the problem of UV absorption and provide better access to solar energy for climate change mitigation. In addition, it also supports the local agricultural industry that was hit by the disaster. This is done by recycling plants that should be considered waste, thereby reducing farmers’ losses. “As we know, urban areas have excessive UV exposure due to glass buildings.
” I was inspired by how auroras occur. Auroras occur when solar activity increases and produces high energy (Gamma, UV). That high energy is then degraded to an energy state low (to visible light) because these charged particles enter the Earth’s atmosphere (and interact with ionospheric particles to produce light that glows in colors such as green, blue, purple, and red), “Carvey said, as quoted from the James Dyson Award page.
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“Both AuREUS devices (Borealis Solar Window and Astralis Solar Wall) use the same technology derived from the phenomenon that governs the beautiful Northern and Southern lights. High-energy particles are absorbed by luminescent particles, which re-emit them as visible light. Similar types of luminescent particles (derived from certain fruits and vegetables) are suspended in a resin substrate and used as the core technology in both devices. When exposed to UV light, the particles absorb and re-emit visible light along the edges due to internal reflectance. PV cells are placed along the edges to capture the visible light emitted. The captured visible light is then converted into DC electricity. The regulating circuit will process the voltage output to allow battery charging, storage, or direct utilization of electricity,” Carvey continued.
AuREUS has several advantages, including the use of cheaper materials. Then, in 2019, it was applied and tested for mechanical and acoustic properties for building settings. In terms of applications, AuREUS continues to lead. AuREUS can function even when not facing the sun directly. In addition, it can rely on UV scattering through clouds and on UV rays bouncing along walls, sidewalks, and other buildings.
This will enable the construction of a Vertical Solar Garden even with a small plot of land. This is especially true for skyscrapers in urban environments that allow access to clean, renewable electricity.
Glass coatings used in buildings use a special film that reflects UV rays from the building. This leads to UV exposure for people outside. AuREUS absorbs UV rays instead, protecting people both indoors and outdoors.
“We can use AuREUS instead of ordinary glass windows, so the whole building can become a vertical solar energy field. AuREUS can be part of our clothes, cars, buildings, and homes. This is a change we can make for the future, “concluded Carvey.
References:
[1] AUREUS: AURORA RENEWABLE ENERGY & UV SEQUESTRATION
[2] Pemuda di Filipina Manfaatkan Sampah Sayur dan Buah untuk Bikin Panel Surya
Editor : Muhammad Fhandra Hardiyon
