Energy-Producing Toilets

We can afford it

Professor Cho Jae-weon from South Korea's Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) has developed a revolutionary toilet called the BeeVi. This product uses an eco-conscious system developed by Professor Jae-weon, where a vacuum pump pushes human waste into a tank that converts the human waste to methane - which thus can be used as a source of energy to power engines.

Professor Jae-won says that on average, each person could produce around 50l of methane gas using the BeeVi toilet - enough gas to drive a car for approximately 1.2 km. To encourage students at the Ulsan National Institute to use the BeeVi toilet, Professor Jae-won has come up with a virtual currency called the Ggool, which can be used towards purchasing snacks and books around the UNIST campus.

The BeeVi toilet is currently not for purchase but can be found on the university grounds.

Photo Credits: power-technology, designboom