“Even though there were a small number of entries this year,” commented Richard Dickson, Director of Customer Technical Support, Metal Markets North America, “there was one entry which was both original and innovative in its design, and effectively addressed sustainability issues.” Hydro chose the YAK Wind Powered Street Lighting System as this year’s Hydro Sustainability Award winner. The winner will receive a $2,500 scholarship award.
Hydro Sustainable Design Award Winner: YAK Wind Powered Street Lighting System, submitted by Stefan Marjanovic, from the Faculty of Art and Design – Megatrend, Belgrade, Serbia
Stefan’s YAK system uses wind power and battery storage to run low LED power street lights. It incorporates stacked “wing units” which cover almost the entire length of the pole. The “wing units” function like miniature windmills to generate electricity from prevailing wind currents. It is also possible that passing traffic in built-up areas could be enough to power the system.
Both the wings, and the base to which the wings are attached, are made of extruded aluminum. This is a good use of extrusion for the shafts and drive systems for the generator parts, utilizing the 3D elements of extrusion in the design. Other structural components and the LED lamp cover are also designed to use aluminum extrusions.
His design scores very high on sustainability, using renewable resources to provide street lighting. It could be used in areas of the world where access to main electricity is limited. The judges were impressed by the thoroughness of the preparation and the quality of the presentation.
Because there were a number of good candidates for the Hydro Sustainable Design Award this year, the judges decided to exercise their prerogative and award an Honorable Mention for the Urban Herb Self-Watering Balcony Garden, submitted by Robert George of Aston University, Birmingham, England.
“His concept makes good use of the corrosion resistance of aluminum and fully exploits extrusion’s design flexibility to produce functional channels in the product”, commented Richard Dickson. “His design would need a little work to optimize extrudability, but is close to being able to be manufactured.” It scores well on sustainability as it allows the growth of fresh produce in cities, giving access to fresh herbs/vegetables while reducing the transportation CO2 footprint.
About Hydro
Hydro is a global supplier of aluminum and aluminum products. Based in Norway, the company employs 23,000 people in 40 countries and has activities on all continents. Rooted in a century of experience in renewable energy production, technology development and progressive partnerships, Hydro is committed to strengthening the viability of the customers and communities we serve.
In North America, Hydro is a leading provider of extruded aluminum solutions, including supply sourcing, extrusion, finishing, and fabrication of components, as well as contract manufacturing services, for a variety of industries. For more information, please visit www.hydro.com/northamerica.
# # #
