Powering the World, One Step at a Time

2022, JOHNSTOWN, COLORADO, USA

Lilian Pham, a student at Roosevelt High School, took a proactive approach to combatting air

pollution by inventing an innovative method of electricity generation. Due to the escalating levels of greenhouse gases, Colorado has been facing an enduring drought. To address this challenge, Lilian designed and developed a groundbreaking prototype known as the Rug-Watt—a rug capable of producing electricity. By harnessing kinetic energy, the Rug-Watt utilizes rotating gears to generate electrical power. Even though a single step and one rotation of a gear produce approximately 0.2 volts, the cumulative effect is significant. When every student in the school takes a step on the Rug-Watt, a single panel can generate an impressive 209 volts. This solution addressed Targets 7.1 and 9.1 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Lighting Our Way to a Greener Future

2021, Cincinnati, OH, USA

The project “Lighting Our Way to a Greener Future” is all about energy conservation. The concern was that the sidewalks and landscaping around Mount Notre Dame High School weren’t well lit, and the school was planning on placing new lights. This group decided to place solar powered lights around the school instead of a standard light, which emits harmful emissions into the environment.

The first step was finding a light that works. Two lights were ordered, and after careful consideration and testing, as well as price comparison, NekTek Solar Powered Lights were chosen. A map was filled out of where lights were needed, and it was decided that a total of 60 lights would be ordered. After ordering the lights, they were put together and registered for a one-year warranty. Using the help of the maintenance crew and Earth Action Team at MND, the lights were placed around the school. In the next several days, the lights were observed, and changes were made based on positioning and exposure to sunlight.

Posters were also created to help spread awareness about the project, as well as encourage MND students that this is something they could easily do at home. This project demonstrated how caring for our watershed can be simple. There are steps that everyone can do in their lives to help. Overall, placing the lights helped reduce the amount of energy used at Mount Notre Dame. This project tackled several Sustainable Development Goals and successfully cared for our watershed.

RECHARGING OUR WATERSHED

2018, CINCINNATI, OH, UNITED STATES

Since the production of electricity is harmful to the environment, it is crucial to try to reduce the amount of electricity humans use. Using the knowledge that electrically charged cell phones are an increasingly part of teenager’s lives, seniors Victoria Wilhelmy and Olivia Hartman and juniors Mia Semler and Tara Franke created an eco-friendly alternative to regular phone charging that could be implemented in their own school, The Summit Country Day.

Their solution to this energy-consuming phone dilemma was to create two public phone charging stations that run completely off solar energy. These two stations are located in sunny, popular areas of their four-story school building. Each station consists of three solar powered phone chargers that stick onto the windows. Accordingly, with each charger are cables designed to charge a variety of phones. Along with the actual chargers is a sign that explains to students not only what the stations are, but also what the environmental effects of using these chargers are. Consequently, students are able to benefit from the phone charger and become more environmentally conscious.

The actual process of making the stations was very simple. After ordering all the materials online and having them shipped to the school, the final step was just sticking the chargers to the windows and putting up the sign that explained to students what they were. This easy solution just shows how simple it can be to help the environment.

Victoria, Olivia, Mia, and Tara are all excited and proud that their eco-friendly alternative will benefit not only the future generations of high schoolers that come through the halls of the Summit, but also the quality of the environment in the future. As long as solar energy, a renewable source, is available, so are their chargers.

Recharging

Bike Powered Charger

2018, Sacramento, California, USA

Bike Powered Charger

Justis Cooper had a unique idea to build a bike/ pedal powered generator students could use in the school workout room to charge their cell phones. This project will help demonstrate an energy-saving device (by “self” producing energy through pedaling) and encourage interest in sustainable technology at his school, The MET Sacramento.

Justis interns at a bike shop in Sacramento, so he had some “industry” knowledge and a mentor to help him complete his project. He plans on including signage by the bike to highlight the project and so students understand what they are using, how it works, and the potential energy savings. Stay fit and fully charged!

E.T.E (Energía Termodinamica en casa – Thermodynamic energy at home)

2018, Carmen de Areco, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Escuela de Educación Secundaria N° 1, Carmen de Areco. Students: Ana Paz Aro, Rocío Leiva.

The focus of this project is on renewable energies. It bases its proposal on the first law of thermodynamics and analyzes the possibility of transforming temperature gradients into electrical energy.

A scale model was built that transforms the temperature difference of water circulating between two containers into electrical energy. Studying three know effects, Peltier, Seedbeck and Thomson, the prototype built, allowed to light a lamp by using a Peltier cell. Based on this, the project proposes to analyze the economic viability of taking this to a larger scale, using the temperature difference that normally occur in houses and buildings.

ETE student action

Lighting the Way to a Better “Watts”-ershed

2018, Greeley, Colorado, USA

Haley Wood, Union Colony Preparatory School

Haley realized that improperly disposing of compact fluorescent light bulbs can put harmful mercury into the environment. Haley’s project aimed to reduce the amount of mercury in the watershed while making her school more energy efficient and aware of the impact of CFLs.

Watt 1

Haley designed a recycling drive at her school at which faculty and students could bring their CFLs for recycling at a local Lowes. In addition, she purchased LED light bulbs for here school and hung posters and flyers explaining the impact of CFL and LED bulbs.

Overall, she collected 239 CFL and installed 78 LED bulbs around the school for only $317.00.

Lead with LED

2018, Greeley, Colorado, USA Lead with LED student action LED lighting

Gianna Uyemura, Greeley Central High School

Greeley Central is one of the biggest schools in Greeley. That means there are a lot of lights. Most of these lights use fluorescent bulbs which are inefficient, toxic and outdated. These lights loose close to 80% of their energy as heat and contain mercury. LED lights contain no mercury, run cooler and loose less light to the targeted area.

Student Action Final Contest CO

Gianna decided to replace 266 fluorescent lights to LED. The total cost of the replacement was $677. The savings in electricity costs is almost $14,000 a year!

The Smart Spotlight

2017, San Antonio de Areco, Buenos Aires, Argentina

EE Technical N° 1 of Carmen de Areco: Students: Lautaro Romero, Nicolas Susseret, Agostina Guerrero

This project is about using intelligent lighting in the laboratory. The proposed technology is based on the use of an Arduino system such as Microcontrollers, LED lamps and light sensors and intensity regulators applied on the fishbowl. The aim of the system is to work with renewable energies to manage the duration of light and shadow in the fish tank.

Ecospace

2017, San Antonio de Areco, Buenos Aires, Argentina

EESl N°1 Nacional of San Antonio de Areco: Students: Patricio Espinoza, Jeremias Nahuel Nievas

This project proposes to create a space, within the school premisses, in which students can come in contact with renewable energies and its relationship with environmental care and global warming.

ecospace implementation

They found a busy place where lots of students pass everyday that now its illuminated by photovoltaic solar energy system and have dynamic panels with information of interest on the proposed topic. The information have visual and digital format so that students can see and carry the information in their electronic devices.

In addition, they propose this place as a reservoir of information prepared by teachers and students from this highschool, that can be shared with other schools within the basin.

Reducing Water Use with Faucet Aerators

2016, Sacramento, California, USA

Faucet Aerators student implementation project California winner photo Brian Shan was proud to place first in the 2015 Caring for our Watersheds contest for his proposal to install aerators on faucets in his school. Faucet aerators deliver a mixture of water and air, limiting how much water is released while maintaining pressure and reducing splashing. The aerators, relatively inexpensive and easy to install, help conserve water and reduce energy use and costs.

Brian met with his school principal and facilities director to obtain permission to make this easy upgrade that would have the potential to reduce water use from hand washing by 40%. After obtaining approval he purchased aerators and installed them in 18 sinks located in bathrooms on his school’s campus. Knowing that this relatively simple project can save a lot of water, Brian plans on extending his project to other schools in his district.

Water Conservation….easy as 1, 2, 3 (or at least installing the aerators!)