Researchers working at the UK-based Bristol Robotics Laboratory have taken the concept of renewable energy to a new dimension. The research team, which has developed a clean energy fuel cell that can convert human waste into electricity, calls the project “Pee Power”.
The system, which can be used to charge smartphones, is also aimed at meeting the electricity needs of homes one day.
300 W/h electricity was produced from the urine of 5 people
The Pee Power project was screened at the Glastonbury festival in England two years ago. Within the scope of the festival, 300 W/h electricity was generated from the total urine of the people who pee in the designated urinal for 5 days. Working at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, Dr. Loannis Leropoulos stated the following in his statement on the subject:
“The urine of people who came to the urinal for five days allowed us to generate 300 Watts/hour of electricity. In other words; We had the opportunity to operate a single-watt light bulb for 300 hours and 10 light bulbs for 30 hours. ”
In the project, which works with a battery-like block system called microbial fuel cells, the blocks are filled with colonies of small creatures called microbes. These microbes break down substances in the urine chemically and multiply, so they can generate small amounts of electricity.
It is aimed that the system will produce enough energy to meet the electricity needs of an entire house, apart from charging the phone. According to the shared information, a person is on average 2-2 per day. It produces between 5 liters of liquid feces. This means plenty of energy resources, considering the totality of family members. Dr. Loannis Leropoulos shared his analysis:
“For example, in a house with five people, 10 to 12 liters of urine would be produced. This would be enough for a scaled microbial fuel cell system to continuously supply electricity. ”
Previously, the project that turned excrement into virtual money was also developed.
The idea of ’utilizing’ human waste is not limited to the Pee Power project. Designed by an environmental engineer in South Korea, the toilet can produce green energy with human feces. Every use of the toilet comes back as a book or coffee. The system created by engineer Cho, who developed a virtual currency called Ggool, gives the person 10 Ggool coins as a result of defecation. You can buy any product you want on the campus where the money passes.
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