Not long ago we presented the initiative of a German neighborhood that used hydrophobic paint to discourage public urination. Today we come across a different proposal: reusing that urine and turning it into electricity. The project is called Pee Power, created by UWE Bristol. This prototype urinal aims to test the efficiency of so-called biological fuel cells, and it is expected to be a great help in disaster zones and temporary facilities.
It's not the first time we've come across the idea of turning human waste into something useful. Not long ago, Bill Gates drank safe water obtained from excrement processed with a special machine that also generates electricity. However, some of our readers may remember a certain project organized by UWE Bristol, in which urine was used to recharge a mobile phone. That project was based on biological fuel cells, and even then they anticipated that the next step would be to extend the technology to a toilet (read: urinal). Well, that moment has arrived. Under the name Pee Power, the team decided to install a urinal equipped with cells at the back of a bar.
How the urinal works
Urine does nothing more than stimulate bacterial growth inside the cells, generating biochemical energy, which is in turn converted into electricity. The cells are installed below the urinal, and thanks to a transparent cover, anyone interested will be able to see up close the conversion process. The overall design resembles the sanitation facilities found in refugee camps, an attempt to bring the test parameters as close as possible to what will likely be its next environment of application. Pee Power also has the collaboration of Oxfam, which highlighted the challenge of bringing energy to remote areas and the range of possibilities presented by the urinal.
Costs and purpose
Unfortunately, there are no details on the performance of Pee Power, but its creators indicated that installation costs will be relatively low. On average, each biological fuel cell costs less than two dollars, while the entire system would be in the order of 900 dollars. Everything seems to indicate that the use of electricity will be focused on lighting sanitation facilities. Women in refugee camps are often attacked inside toilets by cowards who take advantage of darkness to hide their identity, but with basic lighting, they will be completely exposed.
