 | Carvey Maigue Awarded for Solar Windows Made from Rotten Vegetables |
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CARVEY MAIGUE brings honor to the Philippines by winning sustainability award. Another bright young mind from the country has been noticed by the international community.Mapua University’s Maigue has won the first-ever Sustainability Award from the James Dyson Awards of 2020. His device, AuREUS, transforms crop waste to absorb stray UV light from sunlight, allowing it to be converted into clean, renewable electricity.
Despite the pandemic, students have been busy coming up with solutions to global problems. A cut above the rest is this invention by Carvey Maigue. It surfaced among 1,800 entries from 27 different countries from young inventors in the world of design and engineering. Twenty entries were chosen for the categories of International Winner, Sustainability Winner, or International Runners-Up by the James Dyson Foundation. James Dyson personally reviewed each of these entries.
“This year has brought massive challenges and if one thing is certain, our top 20 inventors have shown that young minds and unfiltered curiosity need a seat at the table,” said Dyson global director of sustainability Tom Crawford.
“There is always a need to solve problems and the number and breadth of this year’s entries show that the future of invention is bright.”A Problem-Solving Design
The brief given to students was simple: “Design something that solves a problem.”
For Carvey Maigue, inspiration came from three (3) insights. First was that excess UV exposure in urban areas is induced by glass buildings. Second, that solar farms are built horizontally, taking up too much space. And finally, Carvey discovered the surplus of spoiled crops, which are losses to farmers.
The solution he found was to turn these into sustainable assets. His work essentially allows waste to be upcycled to vertical solar panels. Isn’t that just brilliant?
In Preparation for the Future
The very intention of this project is not just to win awards and impress, but to solve the problems of the present and future. This is because the practical application of AuREUS is for windows and walls, particularly for buildings. In the realm of agricultural solutions, new infrastructure is a road our country seems to be taking more and more, so this is very timely.
Furthermore, additional research will be done on extracting needed particles to allow, from 80 percent to 100 percent, sourcing of its dyes from fruits and vegetables, wherein traditionally, chemical dyes are used. This makes the invention both sustainable and eco-friendly.
What’s Next?
Things continue to be on the upswing for Carvey Maigue, as AuREUS has gathered two other distinctions under its name. One is the 35th MAPUA EECE Thesis Colloquium, and another is an invitation for an international presentation for a renewable energy conference.
Will the government invest in projects such as Carvey’s? It should. With how important our agricultural sector is, this can be an empowering development that many can benefit from. And when farmers do well, everyone does well. An improved industry means more yields, more exports, cheaper produce, and an empowered consumer market. Everybody wins!
With these solar windows, we’re not just seeing a bright future in one color, but a kaleidoscope of possibilities in the horizon.
Congratulations, Carvey! Soar higher, Filipino minds!
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