Abu Dhabi: An Indian start-up has developed an innovative and cheap solution to purify sewage water.
“It is amazing that they generate pure drinking water from dirty water. If the solution is used in all buildings, it will be wonderful,” said Bertrand Piccard, the Swiss adventurer and innovator.
There are many such clean-technology solutions across the globe, which are not known or utilised, he told Gulf News on Sunday in an interview on the sidelines of the eight Assembly of International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) held in Abu Dhabi.
Piccard has taken up a mission to find such 1,000 efficient solutions since he successfully completed the first zero-fuel electric and solar aircraft’s circumnavigation across the globe.
After the adventurous mission of Solar Impulse-2 that made several records when it landed in Abu Dhabi one-and-half years ago, he has been travelling across the world as part of his new project ‘World Alliance for Efficient Solutions’ (WAES).
He reached Abu Dhabi on Saturday from a weeklong tour in India where he interacted with people who launched innovative start-ups.
Another Indian start-up has a solution to save 75 per cent electricity used on ceiling fans and table fans. “It may not be relevant in the countries like the UAE where fans are not used and most of the electricity is consumed for air-conditioners. But it will make a big difference in nations such as India where about 95 per cent of electricity is used for fans and only 5 per cent for air conditioners,” he explained.
“Most of those innovators are under 25. They are enthusiastic and optimistic about their efforts [to make a greener earth]. I find hope in them!”
After innovating such novel solutions, start-ups find it difficult to get funding to produce or provide their products or services in a large scale. The WAES will be a platform to make matchmaking between such innovators and investors to utilise such clean, efficient and profitable solutions in the market, Piccard said.
“They must be profitable without the support of any subsidies … because even climate-change deniers can also utilise it [to make money].
Piccard has always advocated that environmental conservation would become a reality only of it is perceived as economically viable and requiring no financial or behavioural sacrifices.
“If you ask people to sacrifice some comforts for the sake of environment, everyone may not do it. Instead, give them clean solutions!” he said.
He said such solutions must create jobs and make people’s life easier.
The mission has already found 500 such solutions and the number is expected to reach 1000 by the end of this year.
Piccard will then go around the world to deliver those same solutions, presented in the form of a portfolio, to relevant governments, corporations and institutions to help them achieve their environmental targets and adopt more ambitious energy policies.
Energy consumption
Solar plane’s solution minimises energy consumption of fridges
The insulation foam used around the pilot’s cabin of Solar Impulse-2 is now helping minimise energy consumption in refrigerators, Bertrand Piccard told Gulf News.
A refrigerator manufacturer has successfully used that clean technology in their products, which saves energy by 20 per cent.
Piccard had earlier said that a commercial solar plane would not be possible in near future. “It may take time. However, the clean solutions used in Solar Impulse-2 can be used in many sectors to minimise energy consumption and resultant pollution. The refrigerator is an example,” he said.
One-and-half years after his global flight, he is happy that the message was well received across the world.
