Energy, Water Top Projects in P3 Contest
Humboldt State University, Pierce College, the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of California Riverside have been chosen winners of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) competition, which encourages college students to apply technology in innovative ways to tackle global environmental challenges.
Each year, the EPA's P3 Award competition showcases innovative, cutting-edge technologies designed by the P3 teams using sustainable policies and technologies developed and implemented by government and state agencies and nonprofit organizations.
The winning projects are:
"Smoothing the Peaks: Smart Outlets to Reduce Brownouts on Micro-hydroelectric Minigrids in Bhutan," Humboldt State University students are constructing and testing prototypes of a Smart Outlet that will prevent excess energy consumption during brownouts in Bhutan.
"Development of an Affordable Family-Scale Biogas Generator," Pierce College students are designing a scalable digester system that is capable of generating enough biogas to cook a meal per day for a family of six.
"Using an integrated approach of rapid microbial detection technology and community education to reduce waterborne illness in Dar es Salaam Tanzania," UCLA students are using an integrated approach of rapid microbial detection technology and community education to reduce waterborne illness in Dar es Salaam Tanzania.
"Concentrated Solar Distillation as a Means to Purify Saline/Brackish Water," University of California – Riverside students are designing and testing a still that uses a Fresnel lens, a special type of magnifying glass, to make drinking water from saline/brackish water.
"Using Waste to Clean Up the Environment: Cellulosic Ethanol, the Future of Fuels," University of California – Riverside students are studying and implementing the conversion of waste wood into fuel ethanol.
All project amounts are $10,000.