Busses, algae, the Internet and water heaters could make campus more sustainable thanks to ideas from some Western students.

Winners of the WKU Student Contest for Innovation in Sustainability were announced at the Earth Day Festival on DUC South Lawn Wednesday.

Students submitted 38 ideas, said Seth Cude, a Western alumnus who helped with the contest.

“There were so many ideas,” he said. “We were pleasantly surprised.”

The contest was sponsored by the Innovation in Sustainability Endowment, said Cude, who works with the endowment this semester.

Biology Project Specialist Ouida Meier said she was impressed by the detail of the submissions.

“We’re excited by the breadth and creativity in the projects we received,” she said.

Ryan McPeak, a senior from Collierville, Tenn., won first place and $500 for his idea to replace Western’s diesel shuttle busses with electric busses that use solar power, Cude said.

Bowling Green senior Chase Goff and Bowling Green graduate student Tom Cannon won second place and $300 for a plan for an algae farm to create biofuel, Cude said.

Algae can be used to create more biofuel than other crops because it replenishes itself quickly, he said.

Third place and $100 went to Brett Meyer, a senior from Boonville, Ind., and Morgantown senior Bobby Lindsey for an idea to track dorm energy use and display it online, Cude said.

Lindsey said starting the program would cost money, but could save about $100,000 over time.

Mario Hoang, a freshman from Collin, Texas, won fourth place and $100 for an idea to lower dorm water temperatures to reduce energy costs, Cude said.

Bowling Green senior Lauren Nelson, Frankfort senior Daniel C. Brown and Monticello sophomore Jordan Steele won honorable mentions, Cude said.

Meier said there were good projects not recognized with awards.

She said officials will work with students to help make their ideas happen.

Provost Initiatives for Excellence grants, along with other grants, could fund some projects, she said.

Cude said some of the projects don’t require any money and are already being discussed.

Interest earned from the endowment paid for the contest prizes, Meier said.

The fund was created last fall with $40,000 Western won in the Chase Go Green Contest.

The money will be matched by the state’s Bucks for Brains endowment match program for a total of $80,000 in the sustainability endowment, said Cude, who helped get the matching grant.