Students working innovatively toward environmental sustainability win Ricoh awards
The winners of the 11th Ricoh Sustainable Development Award work to help build a sustainable future
MALVERN, Pa., June 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Ricoh Americas Corporation today announced that Ethan Novek of Greenwich High School in Connecticut and Robert Z. Halfon of American Heritage School of Boca Delray in Florida have been selected as this year's recipients of the Ricoh Sustainable Development Award (RSDA) for innovations in alternative energy and waste management solutions at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) 2015. The award program, bestowed by Ricoh for the 11th consecutive year, honors students who develop innovations that strengthen environmental sustainability. At Intel ISEF 2015, the RSDA highlights the efforts of exceptional students, supporting Ricoh's efforts to enable a sustainable future for the new world of work.
By demonstrating economic and efficient solutions that will help create a more resilient business climate and support a sustainable future, honorees Novek and Halfon were awarded a total of $25,000 in scholarships from Ricoh.
"It's rewarding to see students every year who take their ingenuity, talent and hard work and create new innovative solutions that demonstrate that achieving environmental sustainability in today's new world of work is possible," said John Brophy, Vice President, Product Marketing, Ricoh Americas Corporation. "Ricoh is proud to support these young innovators in their future endeavors and to continue encouraging students to join us in our mission to enable information mobility solutions that will encourage an environmentally sustainable future."
Novek developed a low grade waste heat recovery system that generates electricity by engineering a concentration gradient using carbon dioxide emissions and recycled ammonia in an Osmotic Heat Engine. As a result, Novek was able to produce 14.4Wh of electricity per carbon dioxide molecule scrubbed, translating to 180 MWh per day from a 500 MW power plant. This proposed system proved that it could dramatically lower the cost of carbon capture/sequestration and could convert other waste products into valuable urea, while simultaneously improving the efficiency of power plants and industrial facilities.
Halfon took a different approach and sought to address inefficient waste management and harmful nonrenewable energy sources by means of micro-scale anaerobic digestion. In doing so, Halfon tested theories that suggested food substances with a neutral pH would yield high amounts of biogas and that 70 mM of ferrous sulfate would substantially increase its production. The results of Halfon's project concluded that neutral pH was found to be 417 percent more efficient than acidic pH, ferrous sulfate treatment was found to increase biogas production by 136.28 percent. Ultimately, Halfon realized an overall 976.05 percent increase in biogas production with all variables controlled and implemented.
As part of the Special Awards Ceremony at Intel ISEF, Ricoh presents the RSDA recognition to students who develop new innovations that support the company's goal to spread environmentally and socially responsible business practices. Ricoh's involvement in this initiative has resulted in nearly $400,000 in scholarships being awarded to 28 students throughout the company's 11 years of participation.
The RSDA is an integral part of Ricoh's mission to pass down its vision of a sustainable society to the next generation, reinforcing Ricoh's belief in four pillars of sustainability: energy conservation, resource conservation and recycling, pollution prevention, and biodiversity conservation. In support of this vision, Ricoh strives to minimize its environmental impact from resource extraction, energy consumption, chemical discharges, emissions and other activities, and to conserve the Earth's precious resources. Additionally, Ricoh supports a business model that minimizes the footprint of its activities while maximizing its economic value and contribution to society.
For past recipients' stories and to learn more details about Ricoh's care for the environment, please visit here.
| About Ricoh |
Ricoh is a global technology company specializing in office imaging equipment, production print solutions, document management systems and IT services. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in about 200 countries and regions. In the financial year ending March 2015, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 2,231 billion yen (approx. 18.5 billion USD).
The majority of the company's revenue comes from products, solutions and services that improve the interaction between people and information. Ricoh also produces award-winning digital cameras and specialized industrial products. It is known for the quality of its technology, the exceptional standard of its customer service and sustainability initiatives.
Under its corporate tagline, imagine. change. Ricoh helps companies transform the way they work and harness the collective imagination of their employees.
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© 2015 Ricoh Americas Corporation. All rights reserved. All referenced product names are the trademarks of their respective companies.
Contact:
John Greco
Ricoh Americas Corporation
(973) 882-2023
[email protected]
Tracey Sheehy
Breakaway Communications for Ricoh
(212) 616-6003
[email protected]
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SOURCE Ricoh Americas Corporation
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