Pee Power Offers Green Energy Alternative

Pee Power. It’s not a game created by first grade boys. Rather, it’s a new green technology.

The Guardian reports that Ohio University’s Gerardine Botte has invented a way to create hydrogen fuel from urine. Ammonia and urea, two compounds found in urine, are also a source for hydrogen. Placing an electrode in the wastewater and applying a current creates hydrogen gas.

The company that has commercialized “pee power” is called E3 Clean Technologies. Their “ammonia electrolysis” process is referred to as GreenBox technology. The GreenBox is expected to be ready by the end of next year. The technology will be targeted towards areas with large groups of people, such as city buildings, offices, and stadiums. Botte reports that an office building of about 300 people can generate two kilowatts of power… it’s unclear how much power could be generated if office managers invested in more water coolers.

Beyond generating power, Botte hopes that the new technology will also reduce animal feedlots' pollution. She estimates that 1,000 cows could generate up to 50 kilowatts of power with their urine.

Botte isn’t the only one experimenting with this unlikely source. Last year, Inhabitat reported on Bristol Robotics Lab, whose research also involved generating energy from urine, through microbial fuel cells. The lab aimed to create urine-powered robots and energy-producing urinals. The BBC covered another research group, based in the U.K., which is aiming to use urine in fuel cells for powering objects such as submarines.

While “pee power” is certainly an entertaining concept, its creation has serious implications. The world is starting to pay the price for relying on dirty energy. Reports flood in daily of health problems associated with coal, oil, and natural gas production. It is time to move away from dirty energy sources, and it is time to get creative. If urine will contribute to the green energy movement, then it is time to start taking pee seriously.

Comments

[capitaldysfunction]

12:00 AM on 04/17/2011

And until this happens, new houses should be designed to allow gray water (shower water, sink water) and pee water to be used for lawn and garden irrigation.

[pat corcoran]

04:13 PM on 04/11/2011

more like yellow power

[Xclamationguy]

03:55 PM on 03/31/2011

Necessity is always the mother of great ideas and wastewater management certainly fits in that category. Kudos Pee Power!

[Foodgrade]

01:04 AM on 03/28/2011

Oh, so it's not a turbine. I was wondering about splatter guards and such. The manufacturing cost and pollution might offset the benefit. There's also the issue of intake size depending on on delivery of the motive fluids. Given that it's a chemical system, how are cat boxes addressed? Do the electrical components have to be explosion proof?

That said, there are many dairies, that use the cow droppings to create methane, they also use the heat from the composting with a heat exchanger and gain a lot of energy. Interesting that ag operations are in the lead with many green energy applications. Good luck to E3.

[Sonita]

08:14 AM on 03/29/2011

She actually set up a company that is working on releasing a prototype of this technology. It's called E3 Clean Technologies www.e3cleantechnologies.com

The technology is most relevant on a larger scare (so cat boxes wouldn't make sense). Wastewater plants would be perfect because already have to treat ammonia -- current processes are ether land or energy intensive. This is such a cool company !! (I've been working with them as a consultant)

[Foodgrade]

04:09 PM on 03/29/2011

It was a joke. The second paragraph was the comment.

[Genders]

07:23 PM on 03/26/2011

Waste is the missing piece of green energy, so this is great.

[osofar]

06:02 AM on 03/25/2011

Geee...wizz....

[FragBunnie]

01:51 PM on 03/24/2011

Teacher, I have a question: How much current is required to separate the Hydrogen gas from the urine, and what's the actual net production of the wattage once that current is accounted for?

[Genders]

07:23 PM on 03/26/2011

good question. I foolishly assumed it had to be less than the yield....

[mzrecycle]

06:45 AM on 03/22/2011

Instead of water coolers in office buildings equipped with "pee power toilets and urinals", the offices in these buildings should have lots of coffee makers, with a daily requirement of coffee consumption. The caffeine would increase worker productivity and the increased output of urine would ramp up energy production. How great that it could be our patriotic duty to guzzle endless cups of Joe at work!

[KarlaElisa]

11:25 PM on 03/21/2011

"it’s unclear how much power could be generated if office managers invested in more water coolers. "

actually, i THINK that cranberry juice might be even better for amped up production.

[GreenerGreener]

01:01 PM on 03/21/2011

Urine is also a great fertilizer and compost starter. I listed it in my blog post about 7 things you never knew you could compost: http://greenergreener.com/7-things-you-never-knew-you-could-put-in-your-compost-bin/

So even if it's not practical to pee in your gas tank you can happily pee in your garden.

[KarlaElisa]

11:26 PM on 03/21/2011

and for some reason, i've read, that male urine is better than females...been trying to train my husband to go pee in the compost ever since...

[GreenerGreener]

11:48 PM on 03/21/2011

I've heard that too. Apparently it has to do with male urine being slightly less acidic. And if we're talking about peeing directly on the compost pile, well, I think men might have a slight advantage from an equipment standpoint. Easier to aim and such :)

[she343]

03:22 PM on 03/22/2011

watch out if he takes any drugs--some prescriptions are not good for growing plants

[Harvee Wallbanger]

02:37 AM on 03/19/2011

Running an electrical current through any water produces hydrogen - this is 3rd grade science...

[USBrit]

03:08 PM on 04/12/2011

Which must explain why the company has a patent on it - but them I'm quite sure the Patent office has never heard of 3rd grade science. Why don't you try visiting the company's web site - the link is in the article.

[Genders]

10:28 PM on 03/17/2011

Waste is the missing link in green energy. Solar and wind need backup. Waste bio char, and Bio energy easily provide that backup.

[beau taylor]

09:06 PM on 03/17/2011

We can laugh at all the jokes but the practical side is that in mega swine and cattle operations the potential is tremendous.. Any technology that reduces our dependance on fossil fuels and uses the waste we generate, whether from our own "pee" or from the animals that we use as food Is a step in the right direction. The next work lies in convincing your conservative, global warming, NPR ha#ing T-bags and Repubs that the planet matters if they want to get a little more wealthy before they turn to dust.

[Foodgrade]

01:09 AM on 03/28/2011

But...but...but. We're all going up in the rapture and using money and the planet as a spring board. Now THATS energy conversion.

[beau taylor]

07:29 AM on 03/28/2011

Rapture's for the folks like teabagginforjesus on DB. Truth is they'll still turn to dust. f&f

[Brazosmud]

05:32 PM on 03/17/2011

Sorry, but the energy required for electrolysis of the pee will be greater than the energy produced by the hydrogen gas. (The old conservation of energy thing.) Another pee poor idea, sort of like the Obamacare not costing more money. Probably have better ideas in Michigan

[Hal May]

10:00 PM on 03/18/2011

Thanks for offering an alternative instead of just criticizing, oh wait you didn't offer anything to this conversation,Thanks!

[Foodgrade]

01:17 AM on 03/28/2011

He just knows that trickle down didn't supply enough pee to run anything.

[KarlaElisa]

01:01 AM on 03/22/2011

i expect michigan to be fully privatized with most jobs paying under minimum wage if they manage to pull that off at the federal level. yeah, you want a talk about a state going in the dumper...

[Foodgrade]

01:16 AM on 03/28/2011

That's why boycotts were invented. Lets start with WalMart.

[whassis]

01:09 AM on 03/17/2011

No shortage of pee on this planet.

[Max Shelby]

09:17 PM on 03/20/2011

Soldiers used it as a component of gunpowder during War Between the States

[osofar]

06:03 AM on 03/25/2011

I quess that was why so many were p#$%-poor.