For the things we would just usually throw into the rubbish, Mapua University student Carvey Ehren Maigue has found a fantastic — and sustainable — solution.
He calls it the AuREUS system, a renewable energy system that absorbs UV light to turn into power. It also just received the first-ever James Dyson Award for Global Sustainability, as announced on Friday by the James Dyson Foundation.
Maigue’s invention, which was handpicked by inventor James Dyson himself from over 1,800 submissions by similar engineers across 30 countries, is developed from rotting fruits and vegetables, and can be used as material for window panels and building walls. The best part is, unlike common solar panels, the AuREUS system can still convert power despite not receiving heat from the sun.
“AuREUS is impressive in the way it makes sustainable use of waste crops, but I’m particularly impressed by Carvey’s resolve and determination,” Dyson lauded.
For his invention, Maigue received a cash prize of £30,000, or around PhP1.9 million, to aid him in elevating his invention to bigger avenues.
For the 27-year-old electrical engineering student, winning the James Dyson Award dispelled all his doubt towards his idea, as he already previously joined the competition back in 2018 but failed to make it to the national level. This recognition marked the “beginning of the journey of finally bringing AuREUS to the world.”
“I want to create a better form of renewable energy that uses the world’s natural resources, is close to people’s lives, forging achievable paths and rallying towards a sustainable and regenerative future,” Maigue said.
Congrats, Carvey! Here’s hoping the AuREUS system revitalizes talks of renewable energy here and abroad.
