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Professor Culhane works with PCGS students on a multitude of innovative sustainable projects

Students have completed projects such as “Retrofitting electric golf carts to run on student installed solar panels”, “Research into the construction and use of 3-axes additive manufacturing equipment”, “Eliminating food waste and the need for composting by increasing the surface area to volume ratio through grinding”, “Biodigestion combined with Hugelkultur as a Septic Alternative”, “Self-built aeroponics systems for vertical agriculture” and “hand-made thermosiphon solar hot water system for washing cloth diapers” among others. All are related to “life-testing” the circular economy in our local region.

Most recently, PCGS worked with NASP Solar CEO Mike Kozdras, with generous support from the Elizabeth Moore Foundation, to design and implement Florida’s first “Mobile Disaster Resiliency Solar Power Station”. This exciting device is comprised of two-wheeled carts, each with a 1 kW solar roof that is pulled train-like by the solar golf carts mentioned above. One of the carts seats students and visitors to the Rosebud Continuum, the second cart houses a state-of-the-art 5-kilowatt on-grid/off-grid hybrid inverter and 5 kW Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Backup along with a 5 kW backup generator. With its 220/110 V output this provides mobile power to run houses or machine tools wherever it is needed.

Professor Culhane most recently presented the results of his work with the Elizabeth Moore Foundation to an enthusiastic audience at the Yale Club of Florida at the Sarasota Yacht Club on April 12th, premiering the latest "melodic-mnemonic" science education music video created by him and his students for their Climate Action News series, called "Shred Grind and Granulate".

You can see it here:https://youtu.be/bIlfRlvb0Ys