A solar-powered toilet won the grand prize in August at the Reinvent the Toilet Fair in Seattle. Eight teams competed in the event, sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The grand prize of $100,000 went to a team from the California Institute of Technology for its solar-powered john that produces hydrogen and electricity.
Using energy from the human waste for both decomposition and recovering clean water earned second place for a toilet designed by a team from Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. A toilet that uses dehydration and smoldering to sanitize waste in 24 hours won third place
