The idea for an Electrifilter, which purifies and generates electricity from waste water, won Polytechnic University of the Philippines students the top prize at the country finals of Schneider Electric’s Go Green in the City student competition held at the F1 Bestwestern Hotel in Taguig City on March 6, 2015.
PUP Electronics and Communications Engineering students John Paul Santos and Christian Santaromana bested two other finalist teams from De La Salle University and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela. This year’s Go Green in the City competition saw a total of 42 teams, representing 220 student submissions from 45 different schools from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
The Prize
John Paul and Christian, the winning team, will receive Php100,000.00 and the chance to represent the Philippines in the Grand Finals to be held in Schneider Electric’s headquarters in Paris. 12 Grand Finalist teams will present their ideas to an executive jury who will choose the winning idea in June 2015. Schneider Electric will provide technical and presentation training for the winning team prior to their presentation at the Grand Finals in Paris.
Above: 2013 Philippine Country Finalist Winners and eventual 2013 Grand Champions Lorenz Ray Payonga (left) and Alyssa Tricia Eloise Vintola (far right) pose with Christian Santaromana (2nd from left) and John Paul Santos (third from left) who are the 2015 Philippine Country Finalist Grand Prize Winners and contenders for the 2015 crown. The 2013 champion team are now employees of Schneider Electric.
The Philippine Youth Have Creative Ideas
In 2013, the team from Ateneo de Manila University (see photo above) became the Go Green in the City Grand Champions. Their entry, the Oscillohump, a device hidden under speed bumps and which absorbs and stores energy from passing vehicles, wowed the executive jury. The stored energy can be used to power LED streetlamps, traffic lights, and CCTV devices. Excess energy can diverted to the main power grid.
“In our mission to help people make the most out of their energy, Schneider Electric tapped the most creative and energetic source of ideas – the youth,” said Claude Mazallon, Schneider Philippines Country President (above). “Their ingenuity will help address energy concerns of today and of the future.”
Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, established Go Green in the City to involve the youth in contributing to the development of environmentally friendly and sustainable energy technologies.
1st Runner Up. Katrina Pangan (third from left) and Kendrick Esteban (fourth from left), with Sen. Heherson Alvarez and Schneider Electric Philippines Country President Claude Mazallon.
Finalist-Worthy Ideas
1st runner up went to De La Salle University Electronics and Communications Engineering students Kendrick Esteban and Katrina Pangan. Their idea, dubbed Smart X, is a pedestrian lane that harnesses energy from footsteps through shock-absorbing tiles, with the generated energy channeled to nearby road signs, lamps, and traffic lights.
The criteria for judging included Innovation (uniqueness of the idea from a business, environmental impact, and energy management perspective), Feasibility (realism of the idea from an economic and technical stand point), and Candidate’s Profile (the students’ drive, motivation, passion, and quality of presentation).
Pamantasan ng Lungson ng Valenzuela Electrical Engineering students Belen Casin and Judel Imperial took the 2nd runner up spot. Their finalist-worthy idea was an Algal Panel Power System which can generate biofuel by growing and “burning” algae on bioreactors intended to power street lamps and CCTV systems in villages where the system is implemented.
2nd Runner Up: Belen Casin (third from left) and Judel Imperial (fourth from left) with Sen. Alvarez and Claude Mazallon.
The Winning Idea
PUP Electronics and Communications Engineering students John Paul Santos (third from left) and Christian Santaromana (fourth from left) took home the Grand Prize of P100,000.00 for their Electrifilter idea.
The Electrifilter is a device that generates electricity from waste water. It can power up lampposts, light up sidewalks and roads, provide charging or energy stations, and enable security systems. The device also cleanses the waste in water to make it potable, and turns filtered out impurities into natural fertilizers. Potable water can be made available during times of calamities in remote areas. Excess energy produced can be stored in batteries or diverted to the main power grid.
All three finalists presented their ideas to a panel of judges which included Claude Mazallon (Schneider Electric Philippines Country President), former Senator Heherson Alavarez (Philippine Climate Change Commissioner), Mina Lim (Oracle Managing Director), and Pablo Alvarez (Tamoin Industrial Services Corporation Technical Manager).
