Academic Venture Fund Supplemental Grants
Turning Wastewater Treatment Facilities into Local Microgrid Hubs
Re-envisioning wastewater treatment facilities as energy-generators that also recover nutrients and food wastes for reuse in local agriculture
AVF project: Wastewater treatment facilities are promising hubs for integrating food-water-energy systems. However, most of these facilities do not recover energy or nutrients, and they account for up to 4% of all U.S. electricity consumption. Researchers will use the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility as a case study to test emerging technologies that increase energy production and nutrient recovery, and create a tool that guides these municipal facilities in modifying operations. This project also develops networks and markets for upcycling food waste, and aims to balance regional nutrient loops between rural producers and urban consumers.
The supplemental grant will allow up to 15 students to participate in the research through small teams with specialized foci. After reflecting on field trips to local treatment facilities, farms and composting facilities, they will assist with developing the decision model, pilot testing and analyzing data, and interviewing stakeholders invested in reducing food waste through a novel wastewater treatment technology.
Topics: Energy, Environment and Sustainability
The Team
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Ruth Richardson, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
College of Engineering
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Lori Leonard, Department of Global Development
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
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Jefferson Tester, Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
College of Engineering
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Francis Vanek, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
College of Engineering
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Fengqi You, Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
College of Engineering
- Community partner: Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility
Academic Venture Fund Supplemental Grants
Supporting undergraduate participation in cutting-edge, community-engaged projects funded by the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability