Community Energy Innovation Prize

The first phase of the Community Energy Innovation Prize Collegiate Track has drawn to a close. In the CONCEPT Phase, five teams were awarded $15,000 each, via their associated academic institutions, and will also receive in-kind mentorships they move on to the PROGRESS Phase. Teams were selected for their student-led activities that help ensure the benefits of clean energy are felt in local underserved communities. 

These teams will now use their cash prizes in the next phase to implement their planned community activities. Teams will report on their progress in March 2024, where winning teams will compete to receive $20,000 cash and additional mentorship services as a part of the PROGRESS Phase. Read the official announcement from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The Collegiate Track CONCEPT phase winners are:

• American Institute of Chemical Engineering and Lamar University, Beaumont, TX
  Researching the capabilities of converting landfill gas to renewable natural gas, and implementing findings into university and underserved community-based curricula.
• Greener CASA, Tyler, TX
  Creating an academia-community partnership to bring free energy audits to underserved communities to promote energy efficiency.
• GreenSynergy, Houston, TX
  Integrating clean energy into education, utilizing solar panels, fuel cells, and other technologies to foster learning and sustainability.
• Rural Stormwater Recovery Innovators, Cedar City, UT
  Using smart stormwater mitigation strategies to protect community assets and produce and support cleaner water and clean energy.
• Solar Decathlon at Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA
  Designing and building sustainable net-zero homes to address energy challenges, develop a green workforce, and train the next generation of sustainable professionals in Westside Atlanta.

Hello Followers of the Community Energy Innovation Prize!

For those of you eager to compete in the Ecosystem Tracks - Clean Energy Ecosystem and Manufacturing Ecosystem - please note that the HeroX platform is unable to accept submissions (or modify existing submissions) while the Collegiate Track is in the judging phase. Once the Collegiate Track judging phase concludes on November 17th, the Ecosystem Tracks will re-open for submissions.

Please let us know if you have any questions, either via the forum or the prize inbox at communityenergy@nrel.gov.

We apologize for the inconvenience! Thank you,

CEI Prize Team

Don’t miss this chance to win $15,000 for your clean energy partnership plans! The deadline for the Community Energy Innovation Prize Collegiate Track is this Friday, November 3rd. While submissions are due by 5 p.m. ET, we highly recommend submitting all materials on the HeroX platform well in advance to avoid potential network issues or long upload times. 

Here’s what a complete submission looks like:

• A Pitch video (to be made public)
• A summary PowerPoint slide (to be made public)
• Cover page and 5,000-word narrative detailing: 
  • Institutional capabilities and experience in community engagement
  • Proposed activities and goals aligned to the prize award
• Evidence of Commitment

For more details on submission requirements, please see the official prize rules. We look forward to learning more about your partnerships between academic institutions and community organizations!

The Community Energy Innovation Prize Collegiate Track deadline is one week away, Friday, November 3rd. Students, faculty, and community partners are invited to submit their plans for community-based capacity building, innovation, and entrepreneurship for a chance to win $15,000 in the CONCEPT Phase. 

As a reminder, a complete submission includes a cover page, written narrative, summary PowerPoint slide and accompanying 3-minute video.

Need more information? View the official prize rules or watch the informational webinar recording to learn more!

Thank you to those who attended the Ecosystem Tracks Informational Webinar! If you were not able to attend or would like to review the materials, please find the recording and slides in the Resources section here. All questions that were brought up at the session have been answered and posted in the FAQ section here.

Remember that our Power Connectors are here to support you as you develop your plans! You can also post any questions to the Forum, or email the prize team at communityenergy@nrel.gov.

Thank you!