15 Year Old Invents Complete Algae Energy System
15 year old Javier Fernández-Han invented a truly innovative solution to meeting the basic needs of many of the world’s poor, and won Ashoka’s Invent Your World Challenge with his algae energy system, called VERSATILE. His holistic approach uses an efficient, modular system to meet multiple needs.
“An invention that is narrowly focused on solving a single problem often inadvertently creates more problems because nature is highly complex and interconnected.” - Javier Fernandez-Han
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Javier’s system is made up of 12 technologies in six subsystems, which can treat waste, produce methane and bio-fuel, and is a source of livestock and human food production. If that isn’t enough, it also produces oxygen and sequesters greenhouse gases, and can also be a source of income.
The basis of Javier’s system is salt-water loving algae, and the beauty of VERSATILE is the interconnectedness. The efficiency comes in part from the ability to take waste from one part and use it for nourishment for another, and the modular nature of VERSATILE allows customization to meet individual needs.
The VERSATILE subsystems are:
- An anaerobic digester, converting sewage and food scraps
- A bio-gas upgrader, turning the gases from the digester into nourishment for the algae, as well as producing fuel
- Vented methane burning stoves, a non-polluting and CO2 capturing device
- Algae bioreactors producing algae biomass and oxygen from sunlight, saltwater, and CO2, and using nutrients from the digester
- Flush latrines
- The PlayPump, which uses the energy of children playing to power the system as well as other devices
The benefits of the VERSATILE energy system include better health for villagers due to cleaner burning methane stoves, less deforestation due to wood scavenging for fuel, possible income from the sale of algae biomass for pharmaceutical or nutraceutical products, easier livestock production because of more availability of feed, LED lighting powered by electricity generation from the PlayPump, and a source of fuel for machinery (from algae oil).
Javier says that the system can be scaled up to provide for populations of 200,000 or more people, or scaled down for small populations. He is currently working to develop a family-sized system that could fit in a small house, with a cost estimated at $300.
Ashoka’s Youth Venture program promotes and invests in teams of young people around the world designing and launching their own lasting social ventures. The program enables youth to have the transformative experience of leading positive social change.
[Via Change.org]
That the system presently works or not is immaterial.
What is important that we have young and talented people like Javier, who are interested to improve our not so well working societies. The vital part is, that we have continuous new ideas forthcoming. The technical details can be worked out by various experts.
Mr. John Thomas (first comment above), I hope that your name is not an indication of what you might be, but hopefully I am wrong (no intention to hurt, only to nudge). Please tuck your ego away, and if you have some expertise on the matter (as you imply), rather share it with others who could use your help.
This is a great relatively new idea, but it is hardly unique, For the past few years, I have heard of multiple dairy farmers, alternative energy startups, college professors and engineering firms talking about this exact type of system.
He’s a smart kid to be thinking about this but it dialectics none the less.
Well done, Javier. You have the mindset to make positive changes in the world, and are using natural systems as your inspiration. May you inspire many others to start thinking differently.
For Jimmy’s benefit - the playpump is alive and well and has been operating for years in South Africa for pumping borehole water in school grounds and poor communities. Many of the children are from child-headed households, so poor that they don’t even get food before they go to school, but they enjoy playing on the roundabouts that pump up water for them.