Nusmir Mekic from Banovici, who won the title of “Golden student” due to exceptional score during his studies of electrical engineering in Tuzla, won the award for the most popular design in the global startup competition of ideas in Copenhagen with 7,300 votes.
He worked on his project for six months, and says that several investors who are wishing to invest already contacted him. However, he wants the wind farms to be exclusively domestic product.
Although the realization of such a project requires a lot of time and effort, Mekic says that his award gave him additional incentive to continue with his work.
- How did the project of small, cheap wind power farms started?
It was created as a consequence of my thesis on the topic “The process of design and development of small wind farmy” in which, with the help of mentors and other professors, I managed to thoroughly research small wind farms. While doing so, I always paid attention on the detail on the high prices of these devices, and I researched how I can contribute to reducing of their prices.
I completely changed the electrical part of this system compared to conventional, and that led to a sharp reduction in their prices. Further reductions can be made in the construction of the tower and turbine. I hope that we will implement the project in BiH in the near future and start production of these devices soon.
- We have witnessed various attempts to build hydroelectric power plants in recent years, such as at Sana River and Una River, but the citizens were majorly against. Why are people opposed to that kind of ideas?
The ideas of small hydropower plants are also excellent, but I think they should be built on rivers that have no tourism potential such as Una. I believe that both sides should have understanding, because we need to give up some things in order to have energy, but I think that we do not need to sacrifice everything else for the production of energy.
Rivers with smaller potential, whose water is used in the industry, should be a priority, because we can make the treatment of these waters for the benefit of the whole community in that way. Especially important for new hydropower plants is that the water does not pollute as it passes through the system, and they do not pollute the river, but only “interrupt” the natural ecosystem at the site.
- What inspires you to do science?
I have loved science since childhood, school competitions in mathematics and physics always motivated me to further research and development. Over time I loved it, especially the feeling of elation when you successfully finish the project on which you were working for a long period of time. Learning new things and improving is especially important to myself, and if they are practical and applicable things you really enjoy it and I’m trying my best to apply them.
- Did you have some previous projects or ideas that could become a reality soon?
I already worked on some projects as small summer business, so I made incubators and dryers for fruits of lower capacity. I was doing some more research, particularly in the field of application of biomass and local production of biogas and compost from organic waste, however, that wind farms have more electrical components and I worked on them more.
I met some interesting people in Denmark, and I’ve talked about possible projects that could be implemented, and I hope that we will agree on cooperation and realization of these things soon.
(Source: Aljazeera Balkans)
