Western’s VRI Wins 2007 Brilliant Award
Contact(s):	Eric Leonhardt, (360) 650-3045 eric.leonhardt@wwu.edu	9/24/2007

Western Washington University’s Vehicle Research Institute has won a 2007 Brilliant Award in the “Brilliant Innovations: Waste to Energy” category for its work creating a vehicle powered by biomethane distilled from cow manure collected at local dairies.

The awards honor innovative solutions that go beyond “green” to generate real economic value while mitigating negative environmental impact. The winners in 14 categories received their awards at the Green Tie Gala at the Discover Brilliant 2007 International Conference and Expo in Seattle, Sept. 17-19. The inaugural awards focus on examples of buildings, utilities, transportation systems, and communities that focus on sustainability.

The VRI’s hybrid electric/biomethane Viking 32 is the cleanest-burning vehicle in the country, according to VRI Director Eric Leonhardt, producing less than 25 percent of the greenhouse gases of the average automobile, and continues the VRI’s tradition of cutting-edge alternative-fuel vehicle design.

“The Brilliant Award is a real honor for everyone associated with the VRI,” said Leonhardt. “Receiving the award sheds more light on what we do, and why we do it.”

For more information on Viking 32 or the VRI, contact Eric Leonhardt at (360) 650-3045, or email eric.leonhardt@wwu.edu.