UPD students win Go Green competition, creates solution to help rural Filipinos

Students from University of the Philippines Diliman were hailed as this year’s Country Champion in the recently held Philippine finals of Go Green, a global competition organized by Schneider Electric (SE) to empower students to come up with solutions that will shape the future of the energy industry. 

Advertisement

Team Scintillian, comprising of Patrick Parone and Hannah Ramos, both 5^th year BS Mechanical Engineering students, bagged the coveted award besting 352 hopefuls nationwide with their winning project, Kislap, a portable water purifier designed to generate electricity through water evaporation.

“Every day, there is always a challenge to shift into more sustainable energy sources to mitigate, if not eliminate, some of the global problems. We thought of a source that is ubiquitous yet untapped—water evaporation. If we could find a way to harness that energy, it could be a major step towards sustainability, especially since the majority of Earth is composed of water,” shared Parone when asked what the inspiration was for their project.

“With our idea, Filipinos living in rural areas can turn their water collected from deep wells, rivers, and rain safe to drink with the sun’s energy during the day and can act as the community’s source of light during the night,” added Ramos.

Ruth Kharen Ramayla, Schneider Electric’s Industrial Automation Director, who led the panel of this year’s judges acknowledges Scintillans’ relevance and praises the thinking behind it.

“Schneider Electric, through Go Green, has always been on the lookout for the next bold ideas from our students. What sets the winners apart is the passion to make a difference, and I see that in Team Scintillians’ Kislap. It is grounded on a plight many Filipinos have, and I am excited not only for Patrick and Hannah, who showed smarts and resourcefulness, but for the future beneficiaries of the project.”

Prior the finals, Parone and Ramos along with ten other finalists were also mentored by coaches from SE Philippines headed by country president Alexandre Vermot.

“Filipinos are naturally resourceful, and Filipino students are no exemptions. With the existing social and environmental challenges, it is empowering to see how the youth can draw inspiration from these circumstances and rise above them through ingenious solutions,” shared Vermot, “It is because of these inspired and bold solutions that Schneider Electric continues to create a platform for the youth to share their ideas through Go Green. Teams from the Philippines, in particular, have been consistently performing well, and without a doubt, Patrick and Hannah will excel this year,” he added. 

Parone and Ramos will represent the Philippines in the regional finals, where they will be up against student delegates across Asia-Pacific on April 16, 2020.