The HPU team in Austin won third place at the national EnergyTech University Prize 2024.
HPU has won third place in this year’s national EnergyTech University Prize 2024 (EnergyTech UP), receiving a $10,000 cash prize. The HPU team, comprising four undergraduate engineering students, also won a $3,000 cash prize by advancing to the Western Regional Finals of the competition last month. The victory was celebrated at the national pitch event held during Zpryme’s Energy Thought Summit in Austin, Texas.
The HPU team, called “Ion Clean PV,” comprises of Matthew Poe, Madison Hara, Brandon Senesan, Clarissa Burhan, and is guided by their faculty advisor HPU Assistant Professor Arif Rahman, Ph.D.
HPU's team, 'Ion Clean PV,' poses with the cash prize at this year's National EnergyTech University Prize 2024.
“I am immensely proud of our students' remarkable achievement in securing third place in the EnergyTech University Prize 2024. Their dedication, ingenuity, and collaborative spirit have been inspiring,” Rahman said. “Winning not only a national accolade, but also excelling at the Western Regional Finals, underscores HPU’s exceptional talent and the rigorous preparation our students underwent. These accomplishments highlight HPU's commitment to fostering innovation and excellence in the energy sector. I am confident that this experience will further fuel their passion for advancing sustainable technologies and shaping a brighter future."
A total of 28 teams from across the country pitched their business plans to a panel of industry judges at the national pitch event in Austin. HPU’s entry, titled “Waterless Electrostatic PV Cleaning” was chosen as one of three national winners, competing against teams from Stanford University, Purdue University, Yale University, Duke University, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and the University of Chicago, amongst others.
The finalists were chosen from 225 competing teams representing 117 schools, and were comprised of post-secondary students that participated in the regional Explore Events in late-February.
The EnergyTech UP is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions. The competition is designed to encourage the identification of promising energy technologies, offering mentorship and resources to support students in their academic pursuits.
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