RII FEC: Empowering Community Resilience with Sustainable Energy and Water Reuse Systems

Climate change is linked to extreme weather events that result in more frequent and widespread power outages as well as shortages of clean and safe drinking water in the impacted communities. This project aims to develop Mobile Energy-Water Reuse Systems (MEWRS) to provide a safe and reliable water and energy supply in disproportionately affected communities (DACs).

This work is intended to advance DACs' resilience to climate change. Specifically, new solar cell systems will be built to supply stable electricity services to address the overload/blackouts communities often face during natural disasters. New electrochemistry technologies will also be developed to offer reliable potable water sources at the community level.

Leveraging the expertise of researchers from Louisiana Tech University, Jackson State University, and the University of Nevada-Reno, the team will deploy MEWRS to the targeted DACs sites to support their unmet and unpredictable needs for low-cost energy and clean water without reliance on external resources and/or skilled expertise. The project is also partnering with relevant industrial participants to design, assemble, and manufacture MEWRS components for adoption in the targeted DACs.

Integrated with these research activities, this project will help recruit and train current and future workforce in renewable energy, water treatment, waste recycling, and artificial intelligence skills. Given the high solar radiation level in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Nevada, such solar-powered, clean, and healthy water generation systems are expected to promote the sustainability of the environment, health, and economies of communities in the three involved states, and serve as a showcase for climate change adaptation for EPSCoR jurisdictions.

The goal of this project is to develop Mobile Energy-Water Reuse Systems (MEWRS) using research advances in nanomaterials and electrochemistry to provide a safe and reliable water and energy supply in disproportionately affected communities (DACs). MEWRS technology will enhance the climate resilience of DACs by reclaiming electricity and water supply with no reliance on external resources.

The project will facilitate energy-water resilience at the community level with decentralized systems by: (1) developing a portable energy generation system with a new class of perovskite solar cells with excellent stability and high-power conversion efficiency promoted by the involvement of carbon quantum dots and phase stabilization molecules; (2) designing, fabricating, and testing an energy-efficient, water purification treatment train with an innovative and synergistic combination of sonochemical and electrochemical advanced oxidation process without costly and unsafe added chemicals; and (3) integrating and deploying MEWRS for on-site delivery of energy and high-quality potable water to help communities precise and timely adaption to drastic changes. This project aims to inspire students’ passion for and sharpen their knowledge and skills in STEM.

The education/outreach efforts include: (1) recruiting, training, and mentoring a high-quality workforce involving junior faculty, postdocs, and graduate/undergraduate students to support the design, fabrication, and testing of MEWRS; (2) promoting the participation of students from minority-serving institutions, community colleges, and regional tribes for summer research and immersive workshops; (3) transferring technologies through industry and tribal community engagement; and (4) increasing society/public awareness and knowledge of cutting-edge science and technology through outreach to local K-12 schools, science museum/library, and popular social media with publications, presentations, innovation camps, and podcasts. These research and education efforts are expected to help improve the vulnerable power and water supplies of underserved communities and incentivize their economic development and environmental protection to benefit their resilience and adaptation to climate change.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.