We are making electricity from sand!

– Elijah Ware & Tessa Heimberger

PAST Foundation/Metro Early College High School, Columbus, Ohio

How might we create a regenerative source of energy utilizing low-impact materials?

This is the challenge that Ustawi Global is providing to teams of young people in Canada, Tanzania, and the United States of America in 2026.  Student teams are now developing prototypes to be shared with the World Energy Council in Saudi Arabia in April 2027.

The challenge is to create a sand battery that will produce enough electricity to recharge a cellphone, power LED lights, and potentially an induction hot plate for cooking.  The sand battery can be made from simple materials and assembly techniques, expanding access to electrical power in areas with limited resources for purchasing solar panels or wind turbines.

The Sand Battery team from the PAST Foundation/Metro Early College High School in Columbus, Ohio, engaged in a 4-month design sprint to develop a practical prototype for producing electricity from one of the most plentiful and inert materials found around the world–sand.  The team worked with their mentor and co-founder, Nick Salmon of Ustawi Global, to simplify a concept that could be built by local metal workers in remote communities around the world. 

Although the initial prototype explored the storage of potential energy in a 20-liter bucket and the generation of electricity through mechanical means, other approaches are encouraged.  We are excited to see the innovative approaches to this challenge!