Thirty university teams made up of more than 230 students developed solutions to six common commercial energy efficiency problems and presented them to a panel of experts as part of the Better Buildings Case Competition.
The Better Buildings Case Competition challenges the next generation of engineers and entrepreneurs to cut energy waste and improve commercial building efficiency, says an Energy Department blog. This year’s competition has more than double the number of participants from last year.
The teams use real-world scenarios and data and develop creative solutions for common energy efficiency problems that can be replicated in the private-sector organizations or by government. To date, university teams have presented 66 energy efficiency solutions to more than 21 businesses, organizations, agencies and governments.
The case competition helps students gain the skills necessary for a career in clean energy. Last year, Yale's team won best proposal for their solution on how the federal government could meet energy-savings goals in government buildings across the United States.
John D’Agostino, who participated in last year’s case competition, launched his career. As a member of Yale University’s team, he says his involvement in the case competition made him think creatively about how to finance energy efficiency improvements. He has since been hired by the Connecticut Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority, where he is helping apply insights from his team’s case proposal.
The Better Buildings Challenge presents awards to winners in private sector and government categories.
