Status
Challenge Status: Challenge is Active. This challenge is part of the Junior Academy and not open for general application.
Application Status: Open to Junior Academy Members
Key Dates
Challenge Begins: 09/21/2026
Challenge Closes: 11/22/2026
Solutions Due By: 11/22/2026
Winners Announced: 12/16/2026
Eligibility
- This challenge is open to all Junior Academy students.
- Maximum of six (6) students per team, plus one (1) mentor.
Overview
A transition to clean and efficient energy use is essential for the successful progression of society in a world of increasing climate change effects and decreasing reliance on fossil fuels. Retrofitting existing infrastructure provides the opportunity to make changes right away rather than waiting for new development. Retrofitting can also be less expensive, more accessible, and more efficient than complete rebuilds. Possible retrofitting solutions could offer strategies for decreasing costly energy consumption and increasing efficient renewable energy production.
Innovative approaches to retrofitting can support energy conservation and allow individuals and communities to produce and even push clean energy back into the main grid. How could you use design thinking to thoughtfully and intentionally retrofit existing infrastructure and systems to maximize renewable energy production and/or efficient energy use? How could individuals and institutions work together to implement your solution on a community-wide, city-wide, or regional scale?
Challenge
Design an innovative solution for communities and urban areas to retrofit existing infrastructure for renewable energy production and efficient energy use.
Consider the following when designing your solution:
- Your solution should be based on available data and research. Solutions may include new innovations and/or alterations and expansions of existing technology.
- You may define and delimit a specific territory for your study, like choosing a particular city or region for a case study.
- What will motivate industry to implement your solution?
- Your solution should focus on technical solutions, but you may include advocacy-based recommendations for increasing awareness and buy-in from various stakeholders in the community for the required infrastructure changes.
- How can you scale your solution to work for more regions or cities?
- How can you make your solution accessible to more communities? Consider affordability, cultural adoption, and accessibility of resources.
- Could you incorporate AI into your solution? If so, how will you ensure that the water and energy demands of AI do not counteract the benefits of your solution?
- How could your solution also incorporate strategies for ongoing energy monitoring to ensure long-term sustainability?
- What policies might need to be implemented at the government level to fully realize your solution?
- How will materials be sourced? Will there be a downstream environmental impact?
- What will your solution cost? Will it be a practical choice?
See the challenge course syllabus.
Success Evaluation Criteria
Solutions will be judged based on the following criteria:
- Innovation and Design Thinking: Is the design and approach unique and/or innovative? Does the design show a high degree of originality and imagination?
- Scientific Quality: Are the appropriate references and analytical methods used and are the insights derived correctly?
- Presentation Quality: Is this concept concisely and clearly explained? Are the findings/recommendations communicated clearly and persuasively?
- Commercial Viability/Potential: Does the solution have the potential to make a difference?
- Sustainability: What is the social impact on local communities? How does the solution incorporate positive environmental or social objectives? Is the solution in line with a sustainable or justice focused future?
- Teamwork and collaboration: Was the experience a collaborative endeavor? Was the knowledge gained from the experience reflected upon and tied back to a civic engagement mindset? (From Personal Reflections)
See the challenge rubric.
Sponsor
