Pitch
Low cost, high carbon capturing efficiency, readily available algae growing kit, engineered to a self-sustainable business model.
Description
Summary
Background:
Rooftop gardens are capable of 15% heat reduction in average building, based on Rooftop Garden’s model from Chicago.
Brief Summary
Project Green is about designing Algae Growing Kits (AGK) that are self-profitable, which allows building owners to reduce their utility expenses by placing various specification of AGKs on rooftops and by window-side. As well as reselling fully grown kits to suppliers for further development of cellulosic biofuels.
Creative Thinking Model
Negative space:
1)Rooftop garden are hard to maintain, (Seeding, hydro-insulation, solid maintenance)
2)Vegetations have long growth cycle
3)Garden products can be a food source, but not effectively.
Innovations:
Adapt model of development of cellulosic biofuel into rooftop garden, maintaining all the key benefits of rooftop gardening while having the benefits of being more flexible and deployable.
1) Care-free Kits, easily deployable without any reconstruction.
2) Exponential biomass gain and carbon capturing capability.
3) Fully grown kits can be used as a source material for cellulosic development, as an effective and reliable business supply chain model.
As part of the goal to engineer the product to its minimum single unit cost, Project Green will also be collaborating with governmental representatives to turn it into a public owned self-profitable energy business model.
Category of the action
Building efficiency: Physical Action
What actions do you propose?
-
Assemble a team of biologists and material-engineers, to convert and re-design the traditional algae farming model into an easily deployable consumer product.
- Another team of project managers and manufacturing engineers to cost-engineer the market competitiveness and design the optimal product life-cycle.
Who will take these actions?
For starting stage, Project Green will be initiated by volunteers from Stanford Energy Club(SEC) and Innovation Design Engineering Association(IDEA), from here we’ll recruit more volunteers from Stanford University region, University of Calgary region and spread this project as global sustainability movement.
In ideal condition, when the consumer product is successfully developed, a non-profit organization will be formed under the collaboration of Project Green’s initiators, focusing on future sustainability projects.
Where will these actions be taken?
United States: California - San Francisco Bay Area
Canada: Calgary North West Area
How much will emissions be reduced or sequestered vs. business as usual levels?
*As it is still a project planning phase, we do not have actual lab data.
1) Compared to the functionality of rooftop garden, buildings with AGKs are seeking minimum 15% heat reduction.
2) Based on the size and functionality of other products currently in the market, compared to how we want the product to be, we can estimate one unit would have similar carbon absorption as 30-50 trees in a one year period.
With a profitable model that can exponentially increase it’s market, we
come up with this mock up data chart:
*CO2 Absorption (lb) is calculated by Units to be sold*48 lb/year*40
What are other key benefits?
What are the proposal’s costs?
Starting Phase
Reputable organization as project initiator and backer, to raise fund of $10,000 for product development.
Launching Phase
When prototype is developed, the project will be open for public and private investment, fund will later be used for manufacturing.
Time line
1-2 years: Prototype development.
2-5 years: Product Launching and early stage market development.
5-10 years: Market revision and improvement implementations.
Related proposals
References
Green Roofs: http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/mitigation/greenroofs.htm
By:
SEC, IDEA
