Solar powered toilet hopes to flush away high carbon future

Andrea Roberts
Times Contributor

 

Worthington Construction has created two prototype solar toilets that will be part of creating a low-carbon future, as the toilets will soon go into testing.
The toilet was originally built to be part of the company’s low-carbon industrial facility in Standard.
“We talked for a few years about developing a place with minimum impact,” said Mike Worthington, engineer and owner of Worthington Construction.
“We built a shop and it is powered by solar energy. We needed a toilet. We got looking into it and there is really no product like it.”
So they made their own.
The semi-portable toilet has all the luxuries of an electrically powered toilet. It has lights, heat and water while rainwater is collected and filtered for hand washing. It uses solar PV panels to convert the solar energy into electricity, and solar evacuated tubes. Waste material from the toilet is treated internally in the unit.
While the toilet was only going to be for the shop Tom Jackman, president and CEO of Simple Solar, who helped with the unit, pointed out there may be a market for the toilet. Jackman got Worthington in touch with SAIT to help with marketing research. This helped to get the ball rolling.
The company has been working closely with SAIT to plan for the toilet and its eventual introduction into society. Other than the marketing study the students helped to develop a business plan, as well as an instrument to help with testing.
As the two prototype toilets enter their testing phase data will be collected and analyzed by the SAIT students. The first prototype is fitted with sensors that will measure different information for the analysis and feedback will voluntarily be given from users and the toilet’s operators.
One toilet is an industrial model that will be used in the oil and gas or construction industries. This one will probably go to a construction site in Calgary and they will see how it fares in a tougher environment. The other will be for commercial use and will most likely go to a golf course in Edmonton. The field test will see how people enjoy using the toilet and how it fares in the middle of winter in Alberta.
Worthington has many hopes for the toilet and its place in helping to create a low-carbon future. Along with creating a toilet that runs on alternative energy, Worthington hopes that it will help the community of Standard. They will eventually offer work terms for SAIT students as well as providing work experience to students from Standard.
“So what we are looking at doing is how to grow our corporation without increasing our environmental footprint. How do we create a corporation that can prosper in a low-carbon economy?”
The public is invited to come view the unit on June 25 at Standard community movie night.