BRIGHT: Harnessing Alcoholic Fermentation of Carbohydrate-Rich Biodegradable Food Waste for Sustainable Electricity Generation

The increasing volume of food waste plays a critical part in sustainable electricity generation, through higher electricity demands. Biodegradable food waste converted into bioethanol-powered electricity provides dual benefits, addressing both energy scarcity and food waste management in the Philippines. This study assesses the effectiveness of an MFC system powered by fermented food waste; BRIGHT optimizes voltage output through yeast concentration. Results indicate that higher yeast concentrations (48g) produced more stable and higher voltage outputs (0.160V - 0.170V), while the 36g setup exhibited fluctuations but peaked at 0.172V on Day 21. Statistical analysis using One-Way ANOVA (F = 3.68, p = 0.034) confirmed that yeast concentration significantly affects bioethanol production. Fermentation time also influenced voltage output, with a drop in the 36g setup from Day 7 (0.164V) to Day 14 (0.131V, p = 0.010) before recovering on Day 21. The addition of salt initially increased voltage but later led to a decline, particularly in the 48g yeast setup on Day 21 (p = 0.046), suggesting microbial activity disruption due to prolonged salt exposure. Electricity generation from food waste provided by a viable method, BRIGHT. Yeast precise fermentation timing and optimization being key to maximizing efficiency. Future research should focus on increasing the amount of cycles, improving scalability, diverse feedstocks, and sensor integration to enhance efficiency and feasibility.日益增长的食物垃圾总量可通过满足更高的电力需求，为可持续发电发挥关键作用。将可降解食物垃圾转化为生物乙醇发电，可带来双重益处，同时解决菲律宾的能源短缺与食物垃圾治理难题。本研究评估了以发酵食物垃圾为底物的微生物燃料电池（Microbial Fuel Cell，MFC）系统的效能；BRIGHT通过调控酵母浓度优化电压输出。实验结果显示，较高的酵母投加量（48g）可产生更稳定且更高的电压输出（0.160V~0.170V）；而36g组的电压输出存在波动，但在第21天达到0.172V的峰值。采用单因素方差分析（One-Way ANOVA，F=3.68，p=0.034）进行的统计分析证实，酵母浓度对生物乙醇产量具有显著影响。发酵时长同样对电压输出存在影响：36g组的电压输出从第7天的0.164V下降至第14天的0.131V（p=0.010），随后在第21天恢复。投加盐类初期可提升电压输出，但后续会导致电压下降，尤其在第21天的48g酵母组中表现显著（p=0.046），这表明长期盐暴露会破坏微生物活性。利用食物垃圾发电是一种切实可行的途径，BRIGHT。精准调控酵母发酵时长与优化工艺参数，是提升发电效率的关键。未来的研究应聚焦于提升循环运行次数、优化系统可扩展性、拓展底物多样性以及集成传感器技术，以进一步提升发电效率与项目可行性。