Low Tech Innovation
- Aditya Raja, Jae Sim, Xu Ma, Manuka
- Apr 15, 2018
- 2 min read
Innovation 1: Aditya Raja
Rainwater Harvesting
The harvesting of rainwater simply involves the collection of water from surfaces on which rain falls, and storing this water for later use. Normally water is collected from the roofs of buildings and stored in rainwater tanks. This is very common in rural Australia.
By capturing water directly, we can significantly reduce our reliance on water storage dams. Collecting and using your own water can also significantly reduce your water bills.
Innovation 2: Jae Sim
Pot-in-Pot fridge
The Pot-in-Pot fridge is a simple cooling system used for food preservation without any electricity. The basic structure of this system relies on the concept of evaporative cooling by placing two different sizes of clay pots. Those two clay pots are separated by moist sand. This system is effective to save electricity and makes people who do not have electricity preserve their food much longer than room temperature.
Innovation 3: Xu MA
Composting toilets
Composting toilets are a low-tech alternative to toilets that are connected to sewerage systems, and are well-suited to isolated dwellings and off-grid communities, particularly in low-income regions where it is no simple task to hook everyone up to modern sewerage.
A dry toilet that does not use water for flushing, the composting toilet saves a great deal of water that is otherwise wasted in a sewer-connected system. Instead, it relies on composting, or aerobic decomposition of waste. Aerobic decomposition is assisted with the use of sawdust, coconut coir, or peat moss, to absorb liquids and neutralize odours. An added benefit of composting toilets is, of course, the fabulous yield of fertilizer for the veggie patch!
Innovation 4: Manuka
Slow biosand water filter - Manuka
The use of slow biosand filters has been invaluable in low-income regions of the world where many people rely on untreated, contaminated surface water. They are remarkably easy to operate and maintain, making them a highly accessible low-tech solution for safe, clean drinking water.
Slow biosand filtration is a water purification technique that uses very fine sand to remove even the tiniest of particles and micro-organisms from contaminated water, and is effective without the use of chemical treatment. The organisms and particles collide with the sand particles, where they are collected to form a ‘biological zone’, in which the micro-organisms form part of an active food chain that consumes pathogens as they are trapped at the surface. The filter is cleaned by scraping off the bio-film and top layer of sand, restoring the pace and efficacy of filtration.
Kommentarer