renewable energy capstone project

Program on the Environment

• College of the Environment
• University of Washington

Past Capstone Projects

Student Capstone projects address pressing environmental issues. Most fall within the following topic areas. Because of the interconnected nature of Environmental Studies as a discipline, many projects address more than one topic area.

Browse the lists below for sample Capstone project summaries to give you an idea of the projects students work on as part of the Environmental Studies Capstone

If you’re interested in hosting a Capstone internship apply here .

If you are seeking more examples of Capstones in a particular category, email Sean McDonald , the Capstone instructor.

Climate Change

Communications/Advocacy

Conservation/Restoration

Environmental Education

Environmental Justice

Environmental Policy

Food Systems

Renewable Energy

Sustainable Business

Urbanization

Waste Management

Latest Projects Based on Renewable Energy

The following projects are based on renewable energy. This list shows the latest innovative projects which can be built by students to develop hands-on experience in areas related to/ using renewable energy.

1. Automated Solar Grass Cutter

Today the most promising source of energy where everyone focusing is the concept of Solar Power and its Utilization. Generally, we see people who had gardens use lawn mowers manually to cut the unwanted grass. Those lawn movers are powered from normal household’s power through cables or using petrol/diesel. Using cables creates messing problem and if there is any power cut, we can’t use that lawn mower. Similarly, if we use petrol/diesel powered machine, it requires money and they create pollution through the smoke. Through this project, you are going to build a unique Automatic Solar Grass Cutter (Lawn Mower) which is powered by solar energy and it will overcome all the above-mentioned problems.

2. Generating Electricity From Sound Waves

In today's world, we are facing scarcity of Electricity. Generally, in lots of places in INDIA and SOUTH AFRICA, some villages are not getting electricity. In that way, you might be thinking about the hydropower or wind or solar but there is something crazy about generating electricity through industrial machine sounds or sound produced by the crowd in stadium or vehicle traffic noise. Sounds cool right! SLNOTE

3. Turning Gravity into Light

In today's modern world we have ample amount of facility which can satisfy above our basic need, unfortunately this condition is not satisfied everywhere in countries like Kenya, India where millions of people don't have electricity to lighten their house even renewable energy(wind, solar, water) are hardly available at some places and they are using harmful fuels like kerosene to power their house spending 20% of their income. What is the solution?

4. Smart Power Shoe

Humans are harvesting energy in wonderfully different ways, which means they think a lot to innovate something which is helpful to society. It's not easy to think about the alternative energy apart from solar, hydro, biogas. Renewable energies are the best alternative energy in today's world. We are generating power through nature by converting heat/pressure/kinetic energy into electrical energy in a more effective way.

5. Ocean Drone

DronDrones are something we call as UAV(unmanned Aerial Vehicles) an aircraft without an human pilot. UAVs are basically an ground controlled system means they are fully Autonomous. Application of Drones are expanding from commercial, scientific, recreational, agricultural, and other applications.IT can be used in Landways, waterways, airways or in space.

Build projects on latest technologies

Want to develop practical skills on latest technologies? Checkout our latest projects and start learning for free

6. Dual Wind Turbine

A new wind turbine generator system (WTGS) is introduced, and its mathematical model, blade pitch control scheme, and nonlinear simulation software for the performance prediction are presented. The notable feature of WTGS is that it consists of two rotor systems positioned horizontally at upwind and downwind locations, and a generator installed vertically inside the tower.

7. Electric Harvesting Tiles

It's all about generating energy from people's footsteps. Every time the people walk we are capturing that kinetic energy and turns into electricity the more people walk moreover we can create. Well, it's not just about the power it's about power data and engagement. You can generate 10 seconds of light from one foot. We don't want any large transformer for generating power. Yes, this creation is helpful for human resources. It requires no natural resources.

8. Battery Bottle

Adventure come with obstacles. Life is full of adventure but now where ever you go you phone is always with you or some other electronic devices which helps you to keep in touch and you find your way but these devices need to be charged. It's also very important to be hydrated in this adventurous life. But what if clean water is not available any solution? In this project you are going to make an innovative model with battery pack having USB connection and which also purifies water.

9. Air Pollution Detector

Air pollution consists of chemicals or particles in the atmosphere that causes serious health and environmental health but what causes air pollution for our planet. Most of the air pollution comes from human activities very least are from natural activities like a volcano eruption. Most of the harmful gases formed are carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfates, nitrates, through Greenhouse gases, smog, toxic pollutants like lead and mercury now the question is do we have a solution? In this project, you are going to make an air pollution detector by using an Arduino and some air quality sensors. You need one Arduino Uno, LCD display, and 5-volt power supply

10. Noise Pollution Detector

Noise is basically an unwanted sound(>90db)One more type of pollution that harms the environment and living entities in a big way is Noise pollution. It's a machine created unpleasant noise which disrupts the human or animal life construction, transportation, railway, aircraft noise. these increase in high-pressure waves can cause you high blood pressure, headaches, hypertension.

11. Water Pollution Detector

Water is the bases of life and only a tiny share of water all the water on earth is fresh and renewable. More than 97% of water is salty to drink.another 2% is locked up in ice form and glacier. Less than 1% ii left for Drinking, Agriculture, Industry, and nature. Water is a global issue but it's also a very local issue.

12. Transparent Solar Building

13. solar backpack.

A backpack — also called bookbag, kitbag, knapsack, rucksack, rucksack, pack, backpack or backpack — is, in its simplest form, a cloth sack carried on one's back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders, but there can be variations to this basic design. Backpacks are commonly used by hikers and students and are often preferred to handbags for carrying heavy loads or carrying any sort of equipment, because of the limited capacity to carry heavy weights for long periods of time in the hands.

14. Vortex Type Bladeless Windmill

As you are well aware of the fact the natural energy is the need of future considering a small initiative by Government of India to supply electric current to every home in the country and supply it for 24 Hours, alternatives to hydropower, which credits natural energy its own importance in the market.

15. EWICON- Electrostatic Wind Energy Converter

As you are well aware of the fact the natural energy is the need of future considering a small initiative by Government of India to supply Electric Power to every home in the country and supply it for 24 Hours, alternatives to hydropower, which credits natural energy its own importance in the market.

16. How to Design a Water Cleaning Boat?

Due to lack of circulation, water can become stale and undrinkable. In order to ensure safe and clean drinking water on board, your boat freshwater system needs to be sanitized if it hasn’t been used for some time, for example before your first use of the system after your boat has been stored for the winter. In order to clean boat water tanks, you have to remove the old water before starting the disinfection procedure.

17. Battery Free Flashlight

Do you think by using battery constrain you to run the technology anywhere in the world or in a solar system. Our drawback is battery we need some platform or power source for storage of power in the form of chemical energy. What if you are making your project without battery sounds crazy right! You don't need to store energy anywhere or neither you need to convert into another form. What happens when you use the battery you are converting in the chemical energy to store in battery and then again to are converting into electrical energy in that process you are losing some amount of energy in form of power. Usually batteries are made of terrible chemicals among very few are being recycled and finally, in the end, we have to dispose of them in the earth which might be very dangerous for humans in future

18. Salt Light Lamp

The idea behind this project salt lamp is the chemical conversion of energy. It utilizes the scientific process behind the Galvanic cell, but instead of electrolytes, the SALt lamp uses saline solution, making it harmless and non-toxic. SALt lamp project is an LED lamp powered by the galvanic reaction of an anode with saline water. It also has a USB port to charge low-power mobile devices such as cellphones, smartphones, and mp3 players.The anode must be replaced approximately every six months and the saline water daily; sea water is usable.

19. Eco Cooler

As temperature is rise in many parts of the country, we are suffering from heat cramps, exhaustion, dehydration and heat stroke.According to studies in America, hundreds of people around the world die every year from heat-related conditions, which can be completely avoided if preventive measures are taken.where temperature reach up to 45 deg Celsius making corrugated tin huts unbearable to live in.

20. Solar powered Environmental system

To save the city it is very high time to take necessary steps. Creating public awareness is first one of the steps. For creating public awareness we need real time data of the noise we are creating everyday. If every one can see the noise level and air quality in real time it will create a mental pressure for taking steps against the pollution. Researcher will also be benefited from this open source real time data.

21. Matlab Simulation on HydroEnergy system

Hydropower is common for many years in countries that have mountains and water. Small hydroelectric power plants harness the falling water kinetic energy to generate electricity. Turbine transform falling water kinetic energy into mechanical energy and then,

22. Simulation Of Solar Energy System With MATLAB

Solar energy is that energy which we gain from the sun through radiation on daily basis. Solar energy is present on the earth continuously and the energy generated by the sun is abundant for all types of application but harnessing that energy is the major factor.

23. Matlab simulation on Wind Energy system

Wind energy is an efficient and emerging field of power generation since high power can be generated without many losses compared to other types of power generation. Wind energy is extracted from the blowing winds which hit the turbine blades causing them to rotate along their axis.

24. Aluminium Powered Car

About the project.

Alternate power sources are rapidly spreading into research fields. Multiple sources are being experimented to replace the combustion fuels from petroleum products. One such experiement is power by aluminium

25. Perpendicular Wind Turbines

Perpendicular Wind Turbines. Rising sea levels and escalating pollution levels has generated worldwide interest and has given rise to new wind turbines designs.(Check out EWICON, Bladeless windmill)

26. Electricity from Sand Bacteria

Given the finite supply of fossil fuels, this biofuel cell is a promising approach for generating power in a renewable, carbon-neutral way. One approach is use of fuel cell and generating the energy using bacterias from muds

27. All About Buildings With Photovoltaic Glazing System

28. hydropower using treated sewage water.

Urban migration is the major reason for the generation of large amounts of sewage water. To overcome that large number of sewage treatment plants are built.

29. Ocean Electricity

There are different electricity sources and from them some cause high pollution to the environment and while others are free from pollution but the efficiency is very less. If there is no water in the dam then there is no electricity from the hydroelectric station.

30. Underwater Turbines

We are in an era where we can’t live without electricity even for ten minutes. The major proportion of electricity is produced is from non-conventional or non-renewable sources. Thermal power station alone accounts for about 70 - 80% of the electricity generation.  And the remaining is produced by hydro, wind, etc.

31. Hybrid Solar Energy

These days electricity has become a need for the survival of the human being on this earth. The major source of the electricity is conventional energy sources which is produced in thermal power stations by using Coal. And the reserves of the coal are been depleted day by day.

32. Automatic Solar Tracker

You can build this project at home. You can build the project using online tutorials developed by experts. 1-1 support in case of any doubts. 100% output guaranteed. Get certificate on completing.

33. 4 Smart Energy Projects

34. solar & smart energy systems, 35. 5 arduino projects, latest projects based on renewable energy, any questions.

Join 250,000+ students from 36+ countries & develop practical skills by building projects

Get kits shipped in 24 hours. Build using online tutorials.

Subscribe to latest project ideas

Stay up-to-date and build projects on latest technologies

☎ Have a Query?

Simon Fraser University Engaging the World

School of sustainable energy engineering.

• A-Z directory

Capstone Projects

All undergraduate students enrolled in SFU’s Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE) Bachelor of Applied Science program must complete a team-based Capstone project in the final years of their study. The students are required to complete the engineering design of a sustainable energy or a closely related problem and implement its proof-of-concept or a prototype. The solutions developed by students focus on sustainability approaches and integrate business, social and economic aspects. The students also focus on project management, technical writing skills, and teamwork skills and strategies within the context of the engineering design project.  

SEE Capstone Projects in the News

April 2, 2023 - CTV News SFU students making prototype for cheaper, cleaner Stanley Park train powered by electricity

March 22, 2023 - Vancouver Sun A new 'local-motion': SFU engineering students design an electric Stanley Park mini-train

August 11, 2022 - SFU News SFU students to develop zero-emissions retrofit for Stanley Park Train 

How Does it Work?

The capstone project takes place over the course of two, four-month terms; the first term (SEE 410W) focuses on developing the detailed engineering design, while the second term (SEE 411) focuses on its implementation. Student teams work with industry partners to provide innovative solutions to real-world problems. These courses provide students with an opportunity to integrate and put into practice the technical and soft skills they have learned throughout their degree.

Capstone projects fall into one of the following three categories, each serving a distinct client:

• External Projects: Sponsored by an industrial, public, or organizational partner, aiming to solve a specific design problem; it is anticipated that the client will fund the costs associated with project design and implementation.
• Internal Projects: These are projects support by a SEE faculty member as part of their ongoing research activities. It is anticipated that the faculty member would provide the requisite funding and instructions to the students.
• Student-Led Projects: Student teams may also devise their own project based, in consultation with the instructor. SEE will provide some financial support, subject to availability of funds (please see below for more details).

Information for Students

Information for industry and community partners, contact information.

Over the two terms, students are expected to identify team member roles and work independently with the support of the course instructor and teaching assistant. Students are in the driving seat and are encouraged to take personal ownership as this is a real-world research and design opportunity. Students will gain efficient project and time management skills, as well as written and oral communication skills.

Students are expected to form their teams and select a project together ahead of the start of the semester, see the important dates below. The preferred student group size is 4 students (teams of either 3 or 5 students can be accepted under exceptional circumstances). If you are unable to join or form a team, please email the course instructor with your project choice, and you will be formed into teams or added to teams.  Note that if an individual is assigned to your team by an instructor, you do not have the right to refuse this assignment.

Capstone Pre-requisites:  100 units, 2 completed co-op terms, SEE 310, SEE 100, SEE 101W. SEE 411 must be taken in the term directly following the successful completion of SEE 410W. Teams formed for the capstone project will be maintained for both SEE 410W and SEE 411. Grades awarded in SEE 410W are conditional on the successful completion of SEE 411 in the subsequent term. SEE students cannot take MSE 410, MSE 411, ENSC 405W or ENSC 440 for credit.

Note: You are not permitted to take SEE 410W or 411 if you are on a co-op placement.

SEE 410W – Sustainable Energy Design Project I

Focuses on project management, technical writing skills, and teamwork skills and strategies within the context of an engineering design project. Documentation includes project proposal, project management plan, design concept, and detail design providing functional and design specifications. Interim project reports and a final group presentation is required.

View the SEE 410W course handbook for Fall 2023 .

SEE 411 – Sustainable Energy Design Project II

Students synthesize their learning across the SEE program to research, design, build and test the hardware implementation of a working system. Includes a shop training workshop, engineering standards on how to design for safety, and human factors. A final report and presentation is required, in addition to development of a prototype or proof-of-concept.

View the SEE 411 course handbook for Spring 2023.

Important Dates (Fall 2024)

Available Projects for Fall 2024:

• Optimize Battery Banks at a Telecom Site
• Smart home by TELUS
• POCO District Energy Network for the Kingsway Industrial Corridor
• Design of a carbon capture and utilization module
• Development of a Photonic Curing System for Solution-Processed Electrodes in Low-Cost Solar Cells   OR   Design of a Reactor for Hydrogen Generation via Water Splitting Using a Tandem Solar Cell  OR  Development of a Vacuum Annealing System for Controlled Crystallization in Printable Solar Cells 
• Conceptual and engineering Design of a powered trailer
• Design and Modelling of a Sustainable DC Microgrid System for Remote Communities in Canada
• Delta E+ Research Lab projects
• Design of Hydrogen Electroyzer Skid using Solar Power from Abandoned Oil Wells.   (Identified student team already)
• Coal Plant Dryer Hydrogen Retrofit  (Identified student team already)
• Design of an improved air-hydrogen injection manifold for application in a diesel-hydrogen combustion engine .  (Identified student team already)
• Design of a Solar Powered Portable Water Purification Unit for Remote and Indigenous Communities .  (Identified student team already)
• Designing a Data Pi for Collecting Environmental Sensor Data .  (Identified student team already)
• Designing a solution to collect electric vehicle charging data . (Idetified student team already)

Completed Projects in Spring 2024:

• Design and Configure a Telecom Shelter to Minimize Energy Waste
• Design of a Pressure Test System for Hydrogen Refuelling Systems
• Design of Plasma Diagnostic Device to Measure Magnetic Fields
• Designing Net Zero Carbon Operational Organizations: Making a Case for a Multi-disciplinary National Firm
• Engineering Design of an Accessible DIY Air Filtration Unit
• Modular Renewable Energy-Assisted Smart E-bike Charging Station Design

Completed Projects in Spring 2023:

• Energy Storage System for Residential Units
• Raingarden Design for SFU Surrey Campus
• Retrofit for Stanley Park Train

Information for Student-led Projects

SEE will provide limited financial support to teams that are undertaking student-led projects. The disbursement of this financial support is subject to the policies and procedures set out in the document: Process for SEE 411 Project Expense Claim Submission . The template for the expense claim form can be downloaded here .

Industry and community partners play a key role in SFU’s Sustainable Energy Engineering capstone projects. The industry/community partner will work with the course instructor to develop an engineering problem that is appropriate and feasible for the SEE undergraduate students. Each industry/community partner must commit to the full eight months of the capstone project and continue engagement with the student team during this period. This engagement entails identifying a contact person who will be involved in the project design process and respond to queries from the student team. The student interaction also includes two client meetings each term and attending a final presentation at the end of each term.

The students are required to identify team member roles and work independently with the support of the course instructor and teaching assistant. Therefore, no direct supervision of students is required by the industry/community partner. The student teams are required to prepare several engineering design presentations and reports throughout the first term showing their step-by-step design process. In the second term, the student teams implement their design to create either a prototype or a proof-of-concept application, duly supported by documentation such as user manuals and other design documents.

The overall project costs will vary for each project, and the industry/community partner is expected to cover the cost of materials and supplies for a prototype or proof-of- concept, if applicable. The industry/community partner may also be asked to cover any travel costs incurred by students (e.g., site visits).

Student teams have access to well-equipped, state-of-the-art science laboratory and workshop facilities to meet project requirements:

• Machine shop (manual and CNC machining)
• Rapid prototyping (3D printing)
• Capstone lab
• Dedicated project assembly and testing spaces
• Technician support
• Faculty member consultation/support

View the student fees associated with Fabricating Services at SRYE .

If you are interested in partnering with the School of Sustainable Energy Engineering or would like more information, please contact the course instructor.

For more information about SEE capstone projects, forming a team, or partnership opportunities, please contact the course instructor:

Mina Xu Lecturer [email protected]

Manpreet Kaur Lecturer [email protected]

• University of Wisconsin-Madison

CEE Capstone course wins 7th NCEES Award for renewable energy project

Departments:.

Collaboration, innovation, and commitment to sustainability are key ingredients that earned the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison its seventh Engineering Education Award from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) .

The award-winning project is an offshore wind turbine farm in Texas, which aims to improve and provide renewable energy sources to achieve carbon emission goals. With the award comes a $10,000 prize that will support the continued success of the capstone program.

A team of five senior engineering students from the CEE Department, guided by practicing engineers and faculty, completed the project. Through the project, the students gained hands-on experience in construction management, structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, and environmental engineering.

Collaboration and innovation are at the heart of this project’s success. The student team worked closely together, leveraging their knowledge, and partnering with professional mentors and licensed engineers, who brought specialized knowledge and experience to the project. Throughout the process, health and safety regulations were rigorously evaluated to protect public welfare. The team’s dedication to adhering to applicable codes and standards introduced a safe and sustainable engineering solution.

The student team achieved remarkable results in developing the offshore wind farm system. By harnessing the power of the wind, this project not only promises low-cost, renewable energy, but also serves as an educational platform to raise awareness about the importance of clean energy. The collaborative nature of the project, involving students, mentors, and industry professionals, exemplifies the power of teamwork in tackling complex engineering challenges.

Once complete the wind farm will contribute to the local community’s renewable energy goals, while also inspiring further innovation and research in the field of clean energy, forging a path towards a greener, more sustainable future for generations to come.

Credit for the project goes to student team members Camille Schmidt, Alex Jansen, Lucas Senta, Brogan MacDougall, and Jorge Gutierrez. Faculty support was led by Greg Harrington , Jan Kucher , and Mark Oleinik , with additional guidance from Chris Enos, Casey Joyce, Ned Pashke , Tim Schleeper, Brian Veit, and Bill Wuellner .

Other NCEES award-winning capstone projects completed by students include:

• redevelopment plans for San Damiano Park (2022)
• renewable energy system for Juda School in rural Green County, WI (2019)

Department of Engineering

• Toggle Navigation
• Capstone Projects

2022 Capstone Symposium

Friday April 22nd and Saturday April 23rd

Since August 2021, senior engineering student teams have been working diligently to complete eleven engineering capstone design projects in the following three areas:  Renewable Energy Technologies for Sustainable Impact, Environmental Solutions for Restoring Our Ecosystems, and Biomedical Engineering Innovations for Saving Lives . In alignment with Wake Forest University’s motto of “Pro Humanitate” (For Humanity), the Capstone Design Experience brings real-world authentic engineering projects to our engineering students. We desire for positive impact to be made, innovative solutions to be produced, and equity and justice to be reflected in the technological advancements that our students make.

The time is rapidly approaching for our students to present their efforts during the second annual engineering capstone symposium! We are extremely proud of the work our seniors have completed, and we are grateful to all of our faculty, staff, clients, and technical experts who have given their time and expertise to support our students. We invite you to join us in celebrating our students’ achievements with events on Friday April 22nd and Saturday April 23rd. Specific details for these events are provided below. We have also provided project summaries and videos recorded by each of our teams for your reference. Please take a look at the innovative projects our students have been working on and we hope to see you at the symposium!

Schedule of Events:

Friday April 22 nd – Poster Session Location: Wake Forest University Reynolda Campus, Benson University Center Room 401 Time: 11:30 am – 1:00 pm

Saturday April 23 rd – Presentations and Prototype Showcase Location: Wake Downtown (455 Vine Street, Winston Salem) Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Challenge 1: Renewable Energy Technologies for Sustainable Impact

Sustainable and renewable energy technologies are revolutionizing people’s lives while also reducing the overall impact that humans have on the environment. By electrifying aquatic propulsion, creating a novel solution for wastewater treatment, and designing an energy efficient residential home, these teams are addressing the layered barriers to transitioning into a more sustainable future.

Project Description

Design of an Electric Powered Watercraft

The use of gasoline-powered engines significantly increases the possibility of an environmentally hazardous spill and contributes to the production of greenhouse gases. To mitigate these negative impacts, the Promoting Electric Propulsion (PEP) Competition, hosted by the American Society of Navel Engineers, challenges Wake Forest Engineers to advance sustainability in the watercraft industry by designing a small, electrically-propelled boat to both efficiently and safely complete a five mile race.

Watch Presentation Video

Client: American Society of Naval Engineers

Students: Connor Moody, Grayson Ramsey, Catalina Murray, Zachary Goodie

Coaches: William Crowe

Onsite Treatment of Household Wastewater

73% of Lowndes County Alabama’s 10,000 residents reported exposure to raw wastewater in their homes due to backup from failing wastewater treatment systems. Unfortunately, achieving proper wastewater treatment in Lowndes is particularly challenging given that the county’s median household income is $30,000 below the national average. To address this challenge, this capstone project focuses on designing an affordable alternative septic system that sufficiently treats raw wastewater and prevents many of the negative health and environmental impacts caused by improper treatment.

Client: Triangle Environmental

Students: Kyle Cattin, Daniel Watts, Brad Kelly, Juliana, Hopper, Sakina Barthe-Sukhera

Coaches: Kyana Young

Solar Decathlon Competition

Homes within the United States account for 40% of the nation’s energy consumption (~$276B per year) and emit pollutants, like carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. The Department of Energy has proposed The Solar Decathlon Design Competition to address and combat the climate crisis by focusing on designing a net zero energy building to integrate green technologies, offset energy consumption, and increase accessibility to those solutions. The Department of Engineering at Wake Forest University aims to tackle energy consumption and pollution problems through the creation of complete design plans for a residential, single-family zero offset energy house in Charlotte, NC.

Client: US Department of Energy

Students: Mia Albery, Audrey Crowder, Santiago Leon, Ben Ryan

Coaches: Nicholas Lutzweiler

Challenge II: Environmental Solutions for Restoring Our Ecosystems

Revitalizing ecosystems and communities affected by climate change is an important step in moving forward both as a people and as a planet. By working on improving education, monitoring of ecosystems, and environmental hazard mitigation, these teams are producing techniques that can foster a better relationship between society and the environment for the foreseeable future.

Interactive Museum Projection Exhibit

Kaleideum, an arts and science museum in Winston-Salem, needs an interactive exhibit that showcases the budding innovative nature of the city to a young audience, hoping that this exposure can inspire and motivate children to become interested in STEAM careers. The Wake Forest Engineering Capstone team will be designing an intuitive and durable “Sketch n’ Project” exhibit that is interactive, safe, and accessible by museum visitors of all ages. The exhibit will allow a user to color in a template and then watch as their drawing is animated and projected onto a virtual environment on the museum wall.

Client: Kaleideum

Students: Katherine Reiss, Michael Klausner, Andrew Rust, Victoria Oduwa, John Delucia

Coaches: Melissa Kenny

Autonomous Pelagic Profiling System

Considering that oceans cover 71% of the earth’s surface, the oceanic pelagic zone, which is the entire region between the surface and the ocean floor, represents the largest habitat on earth. As a result, scientists are interested in exploring this zone to investigate animal and plant life, climate change, and overall oceanic conditions. However, current solutions utilized to profile the pelagic zone are too expensive or labor intensive, or they do not meet the needs of specific researchers. This project proposes to address this problem by designing and prototyping an autonomous profiling system to provide an inexpensive means of exploration for environmental scientists and ecologists to collect and retrieve data to a minimum depth of 100 m in the water column.

Client: Kyle Luthy, Sheri Floge

Students: Tommy Taylor, Will Chen, Danette Martinez, Jackson Wall

Coaches: Hunter Bachman

Bridge Design for Remote Communities

The community in Zombodze, Eswatini, Africa, is cut off from access to vital resources, including healthcare, education, and food, for an average of 14 days each year. The community loses access to these resources due to the severe flooding of the Mtilane river that occurs during the rainy season. To address this problem, Wake Forest Engineers have partnered with Engineers in Action (EIA) to design and build a suspended cable bridge that will cross the floodplain of the river, improving the lives of all community members.

Client: Engineers in Action

Students: David Wrona, Tyric Swennie, Thomas Aucamp, Reed Hedberg

Coaches: Patricia Clayton

WFU Stormwater Improvement

The erosion of the West Creek on Wake Forest’s Reynolda Campus has become a hazard to students and campus buildings because of stormwater impacts. Specifically, the erosion of the creek due to high amounts of runoff and flooding has weakened the ultimate strength of the soil, which is now insufficient to support the Scales Dance Studio, located on the bank of the creek. The goal of the project is for engineering students to work with the WFU facilities department to design a solution to mitigate stormwater erosion issues on the West Creek through means of stormwater infrastructure design.

Client: Wake Forest Facilities

Students: Ryan Welton, Sami Rodia, Julia Gass, Annlyn Zinke

Coaches: Courtney Di Vittorio

Remote Tunnel Hazard Monitoring System

The tunnels underneath Wake Forest University’s Reynolda campus house electrical infrastructure and steam pipes that require monitoring for maintenance and repair needs. Unfortunately, conditions within the tunnel may be hazardous to the facilities personnel who enter the work environment to conduct the monitoring. To eliminate the risk associated with university employees entering the tunnels, Wake Forest University Engineering students are working to design an autonomous monitoring system equipped with sensors that can remotely display data to the user on a centralized dashboard located outside of the tunnels.

Client: Wake Forest Department of Health and Safety

Students: Nicolas Chen, Will Gilkeson, Rachel Lampman, Dorian Brown

Challenge III: Biomedical Engineering Innovations for Saving Lives

At the cross section of innovation and optimal patient care, the Capstone teams who chose to take on this challenge are digging deep to push the bounds of current medicine. By working to improve healthcare, tissue engineering research, and surgical cardiac repair, these teams are developing methodologies, technologies, and systems for the overall advancement of medical practice and the improvement of patient care.

Simplified Exercise Apparatus

Individuals that are critically ill or undergo major surgeries are often confined to bed rest in the early stages of their recovery. These patients can lose as much as 2.2 pounds of lean body mass a day, much of this occurring in the lower extremities during the first week of stay. This muscle loss often renders patients unable to move on their own, leading to longer rehabilitation times and lower quality of life post-ICU discharge. The goal of this project is to design an in-bed apparatus that reduces the rate of muscle loss during bedrest to improve long-term patient outcomes.

Client: Dr. Samuel Carmichael

Students: Bridget Barsanti, Max Hazlin, Lauren Davies, Andrew LaCava

Coaches: Sami Yazdani

Bioreactor Monitoring System

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) serves as a cutting-edge technique for treating deep, complex tissue wounds by applying micro/macrostrain to the injury while supporting the introduction of fluids to nurture the wound environment. While this innovative process is currently being simulated at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital using a benchtop bioreactor system, the apparatus requires constant monitoring by medical professionals. The goal of this project is to reduce the hands-on time required to operate the bioreactor by designing a monitoring/control platform that can automatically document and modify conditions and alert physicians to errors within the system.

Client: Dr. Adam Katz, Dr. William Christian Molair

Students: Josh Prillaman, April Espinoza, Tanner Stewart, Avery Jamieson

Coaches: Carlos Kengla

Design of a Prosthetic Heart Valve for Pediatric Patients

Congenital heart defects affect nearly 40,000 of births per year in the United States, and in many cases invasive heart valve replacement surgery is required to insert a donated valve (a homograft) or a prosthetic heart valve into the patient. Currently, no FDA-approved and commercially available prosthetic option exists for patients that require a valve smaller than 15mm in diameter. The goal of this project is to design, evaluate, and optimize the performance of a novel ePTFE valve that is smaller than 15mm, improving health outcomes for some of the country’s smallest patients.

Students: Ava Burgess, Libby Welborn, Anna Kate Himes, Ida Greenlee, Nyna DeWitt

Coaches: Olga Pierrakos, Brandon Eberl

A thank you to our sponsors and technical experts who supported our students:

• Paul Allaire
• Sarah Prather
• Traci Connor
• Philip Brown
• Pete Santago
• Damien Di Vittorio
• Samuel Carmichael
• Meredith Merchant
• Michael Briscoe
• Takacat Americas
• Tate Rogers
• Aaron Forbis-Stokes
• Tina Whitfield
• Eric Stottlemyer
• Sheri Floge
• Ethan Gingerich
• Brenton Kreiger
• Michael Draughn
• Nick Golden
• Yoshio Otaki
• Ashli Jones
• Chris  Busch

New to InTeGrate?

This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Teaching Collection

Resources in this top level collection a) must have scored Exemplary or Very Good in all five review categories, and must also rate as "Exemplary" in at least three of the five categories. The five categories included in the peer review process are

For more information about the peer review process itself, please see https://serc.carleton.edu/teachearth/activity_review.html .

• Reviewed: August 18, 2014 -- Reviewed by the InTeGrate Materials Review Process
• First Publication: October 31, 2017
• Reviewed: March 2, 2023 -- Reviewed by the On the Cutting Edge Activity Review Process
• Capstone Project

For those teaching the modules as an entire course, we provide a capstone summary assessment activity. This activity is designed to incorporate scaffolding of the material, to use the gained knowledge to do systems-thinking, and to facilitate reflection on what the students learned. The assignment follows:

Congratulations on having completed all eleven modules! Now is the time to put together that body of knowledge and experience to produce a useful product. You have just been hired by the town/city nearest to campus as a community planner. Your job is to design a sustainable community that will be built on a large section of the city that was leveled in a massive urban renewal project. This new planned community will have housing, places to eat and shop, light industry, a school, recreation center, and park. This will be a complete neighborhood. Know that all of the infrastructure will also be replaced; this means utilities (electricity, water, sewage) and roads. Part I — Planning a Sustainable Community Your job is to develop a plan (this could be a written document, a PowerPoint presentation, a video or some other medium. Be creative!) for this sustainable community addressing the technologies you learned about in each of the modules 2–11. For each technology you must: State the technology. Determine if the technology is appropriate to use in your town/city. Be sure to provide evidence to explain your conclusion and reference data (like maps of solar and wind resources) to support your position. Explain how the chosen technologies will be used to achieve a sustainable community. Describe the socioeconomic (e.g., costs/benefits, health effects) implications of the technology. Show how each technology will be linked to at least two of the other technologies. When you show the linkages (in question 5) do so in a systems-thinking way. This should include pointing out positive and negative feedback loops, and how changes to one part of the community mediated by a technology will drive changes to other parts of the community.

Part II — Reflection After completing the above, write a paragraph reflecting on how you think this course has affected your views on (a) your energy use and (b) community sustainability.

GREENS Capstone Summary Assessment Rubric 1

Introduction

The capstone activity is designed to incorporate scaffolding of the material, to use the gained knowledge to do systems-thinking, and to facilitate reflection on what the students learned. It could be a written plan, an oral or a PowerPoint presentation, a video, or the activity could use some other medium. This rubric is designed to assess the content of the capstone activity.

Terminology

The following will clarify some of the terms used in this rubric and instructor expectations:

Appropriate evidence : We expect students to provide appropriate or correct evidence that supports their responses in this assignment. In question two (see above), for example, students should provide facts and/or citations that would support their decision to incorporate (or not) solar PV panels into their sustainable community plan.

Appropriate links between technologies : In question five (see above), we expect students to provide appropriate or correct links between different technologies. The student should examine how the different technologies might complement or conflict with one another. For example, the student could consider how space used for ground-source heat exchange might be occupied on the surface by another alternate energy strategy (e.g. PV panels). Alternately, the use of Trombe walls to decrease heating costs might increase costs for interior lighting. The objective is for students to present an integrated plan that incorporates multiple technologies.

Systems-thinking : We expect the students to demonstrate an understanding of a system (natural or human-made), its parts, and how those parts interact through different feedback loops (positive and/or negative).

GREENS Capstone Summary Assessment Rubric

Table for the capstone rubric Download data (3kB) (last updated 2016-01-31 11:22:41)

[1] Based upon material from the VALUE Rubric Development Project (Association of American Colleges Universities)

« Previous Page       Next Page »

• Course Design and Structure
• 1. Electricity, Work, and Power
• 2. Using Wind to do Work
• 3. Thermal Energy from Light
• 4. Creating Electricity from Light
• 5. Passive Designs
• 6. Energy from and to the Earth
• 7. Better Ways to Illuminate
• 8. Efficiency and Conservation
• 9. Hybrid and Electric Cars
• 10. Energy from Biofuels
• 11. Composting Toilets
• Student Materials

Teaching Themes

Already used some of these materials in a course? Let us know and join the discussion »

Considering using these materials with your students? Get advice for using GETSI modules in your courses » Get pointers and learn about how it's working for your peers in their classrooms »

• About this Site
• Accessibility

Reuse of InTeGrate Materials

We encourage the reuse and dissemination of the material on this site for noncommercial purposes as long as attribution to the original material on the InTeGrate site is retained.

Material on this page is offered under a Creative Commons license unless otherwise noted below.

Show terms of use for text on this page »

Show terms of use for media on this page »

• None found in this page

Learn more about Citing, Reusing and Adapting InTeGrate materials for your classroom

• Short URL: https://serc.carleton.edu/191256 What's This?

Disclaimer: Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

IEEE Account

• Change Username/Password
• Update Address

Purchase Details

• Payment Options
• Order History
• View Purchased Documents

Profile Information

• Communications Preferences
• Profession and Education
• Technical Interests
• US & Canada: +1 800 678 4333
• Worldwide: +1 732 981 0060
• Contact & Support
• About IEEE Xplore
• Accessibility
• Terms of Use
• Nondiscrimination Policy
• Privacy & Opting Out of Cookies

A not-for-profit organization, IEEE is the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. © Copyright 2024 IEEE - All rights reserved. Use of this web site signifies your agreement to the terms and conditions.

Skip to Content

• Undergraduate Programs
• Graduate Programs
• Faculty & Research

Other ways to search:

• Events Calendar

Harnessing the Wind: How a Senior Capstone Team is Changing the Game in Renewable Energy

You are here.

In the heart of CU Boulders engineering community, a unique blend of ambition, innovation, and teamwork is taking shape through the Collegiate Wind Competition team. A senior capstone project that is redefining the boundaries of academic collaboration and renewable energy development. As part of the Design Center at the College of Engineering , this team is not just another group of students; they are pioneers at the forefront of wind energy technology.

Charting the Financial Voyage  

Funding plays a significant role in this journey, with teams receiving initial capital to kickstart their projects and further funding as they advance through the competition's phases. With an initial budget of $2,000 provided by their university, the team quickly realized that their vision would require significantly more resources.

A critical step in their financial strategy involved applying for a grant from the Engineering Excellence Fund , a unique opportunity for engineering teams to secure additional project funding. Their efforts were successful, providing a vital cash injection not only for the turbine project but also for outreach initiatives integral to their competition goals.

Another initiative was Kidwind , an event designed to engage local elementary students and university classes in renewable energy projects. Participants were tasked with building their own turbine blades, which were then attached to a turbine to see which could generate the most power. The additional funds secured by the team allowed them to enhance these outreach efforts, making them more engaging and fun for participants.

The team's funding journey highlights the importance of external financial support in achieving project goals. While the initial grant from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and university funds laid the foundation, it was the extra funding from the Engineering Excellence Fund and additional NREL funds that truly enabled the team to realize their ambitious design.

The team recently received another grant totaling about $5,000 from RWE , a German energy company. With these funds, in addition to the NREL funds we have received, we are hoping that we will be able to send all team members and our faculty director to the Collegiate Wind Competition in Minneapolis in May.

With these funding opportunities, the capstone team is also working to support the construction of a wind tunnel that another Mechanical Engineering Senior Capstone team is working to build. The wind tunnel is an ambitious project that requires a lot of outside funding sources. The team hopes that they will be able to use this wind tunnel to test their model turbine eventually, so they have also been trying to support the wind tunnel team financially. 

As the competition approaches, their excitement is palpable. The team is aware of the challenges ahead, especially given the high bar set by competitors like Kansas State , known for their large and successful team. Yet, the spirit of competition is more than just winning; it's about pushing the boundaries of what's possible, learning, and ultimately contributing to a future where renewable energy is not just an option but the norm.

Engineering Meets Business: A Vision for Collaborative Innovation in Renewable Energy Projects

At the core of their project, the team is tackling both the engineering challenge of crafting a model wind turbine and the crucial financial planning for renewable energy initiatives. They've improved upon previous designs to boost their turbine's performance and efficiency, eagerly anticipating the competition.

This initiative reflects a broader educational and industrial trend towards interdisciplinary solutions for global challenges. They're not just aiming to demonstrate their engineering skills but are advocating for a new, collaborative approach to renewable energy projects.

Business students interested in joining this forward-thinking team should reach out to [email protected] .

More Deming News

Marc Herzberger: Leading Innovation and Transformation at Hype

Read more about Marc Herzberger: Leading Innovation and Transformation at Hype

• Share via Twitter
• Share via Facebook
• Share via Google Plus
• Share via LinkedIn
• Share via E-mail
• Deming Home
• Student Opportunities
• Sign-up for our newsletter

  [email protected]   (+1) 303-492-9018

Deming Center for Entrepreneurship Leeds School of Business 995 Regent Drive 419 UCB Boulder, CO 80309

Donate to the Deming Center    ​​

Sign-up for our newsletter ​​​

Connect With Us:

• Join Login Volunteer Classified Give Give ASEE Donations...
• Mission, Vision, Goals
• Public Policy Statements
• Constitution
• Organizational Structure
• Investment Policy
• Financial Policy
• Our History
• Staff Contacts
• Board Of Directors
• Academy Of Fellows
• Past Board Members
• Advisory Committees
• Representatives to External Organizations
• Executive Director's Message
• Meeting Minutes
• Careers at ASEE
• Privacy Statement
• Your Member Page
• Membership Directory
• COVID Recovery
• Engineering Culture
• Divisions, Fellows, and Campus Reps
• Sections and Zones
• Individual Membership
• Institutional Membership
• Major Activities
• Prospective Partner or Sponsor
• About Fellowships
• High School
• Undergraduate
• Post-Doctoral
• Other Programs
• 2022 Annual Conference & Exposition
• 2021 Virtual Annual Conference & Exposition
• 2020 Virtual Annual Conference & Exposition
• Section & Zone Meetings
• Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration (CIEC)
• CMC Workforce Summit
• Engineering Deans Institute (EDI)
• Research Leadership Institute (RLI) (Formerly ERC)
• Engineering Technology Leaders Institute (ETLI)
• EDC Public Policy Colloquium (PPC)
• Frontiers in Education
• First Year Engineering Experience
• Workforce Summit
• Future Conference Dates
• Newsletters
• Division Publications
• Journal of Engineering Education
• Advances in Engineering Education
• Conference Proceedings
• Section Proceedings
• Zone Proceedings
• Monographs and Reports
• Prism Magazine
• Profiles of E&ET Colleges
• Case Study Series: Engineering-Enhanced Liberal Education
• Data Analysis
• Annual Reports
• Academic Job Opportunities
• Course Catalog
• Engineering Education Community Resource
• eGFI Teachers
• eGFI Students
• Engineering Teacher PD Endorsement

• Past Forums
• Registration
• Program Schedule
• ERC Past Conferences
• ETLI Sponsorship Options
• 2017 Global Colloquium
• Call for Proposals
• Past Conferences
• STEP Grantees Meeting

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The contribution of capstone projects in green/renewable energy areas to growth of the engineering curriculum in global sustainable development, presented at integrated activities for green energy and manufacturing education.

The Contribution of Capstone Projects in Green / Renewable Energy Areas to Growth of the Engineering Curriculum in Global Sustainable Development

Abstract The current global considerations regarding sustainable energy use and generation combined with the need of a well-rounded and skilled workforce able to serve a global sustainable industry leads inevitably to new trends and strategic areas in engineering education fields. Our task as educators in the engineering realm is to prepare students to be more effective in a global context as well as to be able to respond to today’s challenges, giving them the essential competencies for global engineering work.

Our Engineering Technology program offers a combined electrical and mechanical engineering technology major, filling in the gap between the industry demand and the current educational majors offerings in the area and nationwide. During past years, responding to global educational and industry demands, our curricula enhanced with several courses related to renewable energy, energy conversion, green energy manufacturing and sustainability. As a result of this enhancement we had an afflux of capstone project topics in the green/renewable energy area reaching a maximum this year when all of our capstone topics are related directly to green and sustainable energy sources or sustainable manufacturing. As a consequence, our curricula moved towards educating students in controversial topics such as global warming, energy security, air pollution, ecological damage, reducing the carbon footprint and green-house emissions. Several new courses have been developed during past two years, further we have taken steps to improve the existing curricula.

The paper aims to present the contribution of several capstone projects developed in the past five years by our students to the growth of the engineering technology curricula in our university. The main aspects presented are related to the integrative approach in green energy harvesting and sustainability, with clear assessment of student-led projects developed during past AYs and how they contributed directly to development of leadership skills along with untamed creativity. While a series of projects are strictly related to energy harvesting, serving as models of energy efficiency and sustainable energy power transmission, others are related to sustainable green energy manufacturing. A technical description of the projects along with clear connections between projects and curriculum development will be described in detail.

Students are continuously and actively involved in self-directed learning to find sustainable solutions to design problems, to recognize that they are part of a global community. Also, these projects served as platforms for course learning modules to enhance existing curricula as well as to develop new courses that ultimately led to a new minor in Green and Sustainable Energy in our department. This paper will present the contribution of all these projects to the new developments, and to building our modern curricula, including assessment, module spin-offs and continuous improvement based on student and faculty feedback.

Irina Ciobanescu Husanu, Ph. D. is Assistant Clinical Professor with Drexel University, Engineering Technology program. Her area of expertise is in thermo-fluid sciences with applications in micro-combustion, fuel cells, green fuels and plasma assisted co

Dr. Ertekin received his BS degree in mechanical engineering from Istanbul Technical University. He received MS degree in Production Management from Istanbul University. After working for Chrysler Truck Manufacturing Company in Turkey as a project engine

Dr. Richard Chiou is Professor within the Engineering Technology Department at Drexel University College of Engineering, Philadelphia, USA. He received his Ph.D. degree in the G.W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Michael Mauk is Assistant Professor in Drexel University's Engineering Technology program.

Are you a researcher? Would you like to cite this paper? Visit the ASEE document repository at peer.asee.org for more tools and easy citations.

» Download paper

« View session

For those interested in:

• Academia-Industry Connections
• Advocacy and Policy
• Broadening Participation in Engineering and Engineering Technology
• New Members

Capstone Projects

Throughout our programs, participants work together to create innovative solutions towards real-world challenges in sustainable development.

The Capstone Project addresses current challenges within the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals and are focused on eradicating poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation.

Created in interdisciplinary cohorts, Capstone Project solutions integrate political, business, social, and environmental lenses with participants from various disciplines and experience.

Browse our Capstone Projects

Community-Engagement

Hydroelectric

Integrating Sustainable Packaging Into Icelandic Communities

Waste warriors inc, repurposing decommissioned energy infrastructure for renewable energy, kilimo sasa: empowering rural farmers and youth through innovative agribusiness solutions, surya urja samaj bikash, sustainable housing initiative plan, parrotfish plastics, biofiltration for offshore aquaculture, the hydrosync initiative, the utilization of geothermal energy for the production of biofuel, real change, poseidon consulting, kainji hydroelectric dam & waste water treatment, small modular reactor, babes makin’ waves, s.a.n.d.s.s. sustainable & novel depository storage system, bountifuel: linking renewable energy to rural development, river recovery awareness group, river restoration with recycling, forest management, bioethanol, & decarbonizing heating in homes, digital access for bor singh in pakistan, grassroots social change for climate change, spin cycle: the circular economy of home appliances, energy keepers: sustainable energy education and employment program for tribal youth members, the future of hydrogen fuel in aviation, carbon capture by microalgae, brine power systems (bps) using desalination for molten battery storage, regenerative agriculture development in rural guatemala, enviro design: make your business sustainable, clean air jordan, ocean energy systems, carbon capture by enhanced greenhouse production, olympic opportunities, energy independence in the navajo nation, urban energy storage, controlling canines in cusco, clean water in cusco: community-owned clean water systems, river restoration through resource recovery initiatives, sustainable education in nepal, silica as a waste product, sustainability access alliance, plastic pyrolysis, fog harvesting for water security, biofuel utilization, da garbarge, ripple education, bee dirty walls, greenhús, from dust to daffodils, people for greener transit, indigenous clean energy alliance, geothermal systems in texas, stormwater turbines, renewable energy kits, food to fuel, lithium extraction from icelandic geothermal brine, renewable rides, the solarization of moloka’i, composite batteries for charge storage, transforming the process technology program for a greener future, vision truck platooning, community-based pollution and ecological education, green hands, southeast wind energy solutions, green city accelerator, portland renewable energy consulting, renewable energy at unh, wegs: waste to energy generation system, sounds too good to be true, the green tour, residential wind turbines, v2g for the act, harnessing highway wind energy, residential water management system, wind and the city, sustainable mobile hospital, what makes american culture, sustainable heating: bringing heat pumps to the public, subway station energy generation, recycle simple, pheonix geothermal systems, living off the grid, permaculture, the pumanure project, connextions, otec economics, on demand light post, cuzco irrigation rehabilitation (cir), offshore wind platforms, hybrid turbine technology, power playground, adventuras verdes, ocean thermal energy conversion and offshore wind, home sustainable resources, egs and district heating, biofuel from restaurant waste, greenfinity inc, green flip team, doing green business in costa rica, bio-digestion in north carolina swine farms, green architecture, developing costa rica’s decentralized biogas industry, greener malls, golden tidal power, aeroflo incorporated (afi), green lawn solutions co., geothermal powered desalination plant, decentralized power storage, saving lives in nairobi, kenya through biodigestion, green intent, jrb consulting, biogas: feasibility and implementation, algae capstone, everglassting.

As a non-engineering student, I thought I wouldn’t be able to contribute much to the Capstone Project. I was wrong. I consider myself very lucky to have had the opportunity to work with students from various backgrounds with similar interest in helping countries achieve sustainable development.

In such a short time, we were able to invent a product that we named “GeoWater” for the Afar region in Ethiopia, which provides safe drinking water to regions near geothermal sites. Not only have I learned so much about sustainable energy, I have also gained interpersonal teamwork skills, which is very important for my future.

“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

University of California - Berkeley

TGP’s Capstone Project: Pedagogy & Learning Outcomes

The GREEN Program (TGP) defines social impact as any activity that advances one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Using an interdisciplinary approach, the Global Goals require diverse people working together across every sector to create sustainable positive impact.

TGP programs utilizes the UN Global Goals as a common framework for the Capstone Projects, and asks students: What are innovative ways that you can create a positive impact for sustainability? 

Are you ready to go GREEN?

Your first step is to complete and submit an application. Upon acceptance, a TGP member will reach out to you with your next steps for enrollment. We look forward to traveling with you soon! (Please note that spots fill on a first-come, first-serve basis.)

Privacy Overview

National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis

A Powerful Sequel: Masters Capstone Projects in Environmental Data Science

By NCEAS Communications | June 22, 2023

The next generation of environmental scientists are data scientists – a sentiment that NCEAS and the UCSB Bren School recognized when they founded the Masters of Environmental Data Science program in 2021. Our second cohort of 31 MEDS students just graduated and ready to tackle new environmental data science challenges. To mark the end of their accelerated, 11 month education, students presented their Capstone Projects to the public on June 2, 2023. These projects highlighted data driven solutions to environmental problems for clients spanning academia, industry, non-profit, and government. 

A short synopsis of all eight Capstone Projects are below. According to Naomi Tague, Bren School Professor and MEDS Capstone advisor, “It’s not just that these students have learned a bunch of environmental data science techniques, they’ve also learned to deal with stakeholders, to think about messy data and their clients’ needs. They learn project management while also thinking deeply about environmental problems.” As she summarized: “I feel really good about year two of our MEDS program.”

In the quest for renewable energy, combine solar with wind

Uncovering hidden emissions in American steel production

Keeping up with kelp: Data and modeling for cultivation

Enhancing enforcement of marine protected areas

For California fires, groundtruth models with groundwater

Mind the gap: predicting agricultural data from space

Simulating scenarios for wildfires models and beyond

Paraguay’s Paradox: Balancing forest conservation and cattle production

Written by NCEAS Science Communication and Policy Officer Alexandra A Phillips.

Stanford University

The Ford Dorsey Master’s in International Policy is part of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies .

Capstone Projects

Policy change studio, selected past capstone projects.

• Building a Sustainable Mini-Grid Sector in Sierra Leone (Sustainable Energy for All)
• Combating Online Harms in Young and Professional Demographic (Netsafe)
• Countering China's Use of Private Firms in Foreign Information and Manipulation Operations (DoubleThink Labs)
• Driving Change to Traffic in Accra, Ghana (Ghana Center for Democratic Development)
• Grassland Degradation in Mongolia (The Asia Foundation, Mongolia)
• Horizontally Scaling AI, Digital Governance in Brazilian Public Defender's Offices (Institute for Technology and Society, Rio de Janeiro)
• Undersea Cables and Lack of Digital Resilience for Taiwan in Conflict Scenarios (National Taiwan Ocean University/Taiwan Law and Technology Association)
• The Local Government Parity Puzzle in Ghana (Ghana Center for Democratic Development)
• Barriers to SME Contributions to Food Security in Egypt (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development)
• Floating Nuclear Power Plants in the South China Sea (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)
• Water Resource Management in Homa Bay, Kenya (Nuru International)
• Misinformation and Disinformation in the Pacific Islands (Oceania Cyber Security Center)
• Challenges in Policy Making and Financing the Paris Agreement Goals (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change)
• Increasing Healthcare SMEs' Resilience against Ransomware Attacks (Cyber Threat Alliance)
• Decarbonizing Industrial Heat in the Indonesian Textiles Sector (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
• Narrowing the Employment Gap for Johannesburg Township Youth (United Nations Development Programme, South Africa)
• Creating a Sustainable Taxpaying Culture in Tunisia (Wasabi)
• Women's Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Information in India (SheThePeople.tv)
• Imposing Costs on Hybrid Aggressors in the Baltics (International Centre for Defence and Security)
• Curbing the Illicit Use of Cryptocurrencies (U.S. Government)
• Addressing the Venezuelan Migrant Crisis (Organization of American States)
• 5G and Global Governance (International Organization)
• Botnet Threat Mitigation (Cyber Threat Alliance)
• Bringing Clean, Reliable, and Affordable Energy to Businesses in the Yucatan Peninsula (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
• Addressing Online Harassment of Female Human Rights Activists and Journalists in Uganda (Internews)
• Content Moderation by Large Social Media Companies in the Middle East and North Africa (Social Media Exchange)
• Russian Encroachment in Northeastern Europe (International Centre for Defence and Security)
• Access to quality water in Suleja, Nigeria
• Government accountability in Suleja, Nigeria
• Nuclear stability between the U.S. and China
• Lead acid battery recycling in Bangladesh
• Human-trafficking in the Balkans
• Vulnerability disclosure reporting in the European Union
• Russian disinformation on Ukrainian social media
• Internet shutdowns in Cameroon
• Barriers to Access to Justice in Chile
• AI's disruption of the global political economy
• Behavioral approaches to improving health outcomes in developing countries
• China Belt Road Initiative
• Illicit Uses of citizenship- and visa-by-investment programs
• Promoting mobile money through social enterprise
• Zero emission vehicle mandates
• Tobacco control and industry interference in Russia
• Building an East Africa regional hub for NGO asylum access
• Building Political and Strategic Support for Interpol's global policing efforts: Policy lessons from other multinational institutions
• Creating a help-line for families and friends of people who are at risk of being radicalized
• Evaluating the efficacy of online counter-speech on behavior

Project Implementation

Center for global security research - lawrence livermore national laboratory, icds policy brief - russian money laundering and a possible smart response, the guardian nigeria - stanford varsity students propose roadmap for suleja water services, the guardian nigeria - niger state adopts stanford students’ urban policy proposal for suleja.

• Federal Tax Credit

Rent From Capstone

• Smart Energy Blog

The Hydrogen Economy x Capstone Green Energy

December 21, 2022

The What, When and Where

The hydrogen economy has gained substantial momentum over the past 12 months with the passage of the Federal Building Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. There has been a simultaneous push internationally as climate change concerns and the initiatives to find alternatives to natural gas have expanded. In addition, international goals for reaching carbon neutrality have been accelerated. For combustion technologies, renewable natural gas and hydrogen represent the biggest opportunities to reducing carbon emissions now, and even more so in the future.

Hydrogen is frequently used as a fuel in fuel cells but can also be used a fuel for combustion-based energy systems. Capstone Green Energy has designed its energy systems with fuel flexibility in mind. As hydrogen becomes more widely available, energy systems in use today will need to have flexibility to use hydrogen as a fuel.

Hydrogen and especially green hydrogen are positioned for meaningful growth in the coming years. Hydrogen, a light and combustible element, does not naturally occur in meaningful quantities and must be produced through other processes. The goal is to produce hydrogen cleanly for use as an energy source. Green hydrogen is very popular in the news today and is created through electrolysis where hydrogen is separated from a water molecule. The power required to conduct this process is provided using excess wind and solar energy.

Capstone’s Hydrogen Partnership Strategy

As a thought leader in the energy sector Capstone recognized years ago that hydrogen would play an important role in the renewable, green energy landscape in the years ahead. Through long-standing federal, university, and international research partnerships, Capstone has patented technology for the use of hydrogen and works closely with these agencies to assure a clean energy future. We continue to explore the ever-changing energy landscape for complementary partners, technologies, and applications that enables carbon reduction goals to be achieved. Hydrogen pilot facilities, hybrid systems, hydrogen conversion technologies, microgrids, and thermal storage are all energy areas that Capstone is currently pursuing.

Hydrogen Developments

In March, Capstone announced that its work with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) – Argonne National Laboratory and the University of California, Irvine (UCI) partners determined that the Company’s microturbine-based systems can safely perform on 30% hydrogen blended with natural gas without requiring costly hardware or software modifications.

In addition to testing a 30% hydrogen blend, both partners have been running a Capstone C65 microturbine on 100% hydrogen, utilizing Capstone’s patented High Flame Speed injector design. Results have been very positive, with high combustion stability, demonstrated injector integrity, and elimination of carbon emissions. The results will be instrumental in anchoring a digital twin of the C65 combustion system with which we can continue to develop in a cost effective and efficient manner. Looking forward, Capstone’s research and development activities will transition this design and controls to the C200, fine-tuning for optimum performance and emissions, and in support of pilot hydrogen installations.

With the recent U.S. Government Infrastructure Bill, nearly $10 billion has been allocated to hydrogen-related areas, which includes $8 billion for Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs, $1 billion for a Clean Hydrogen Electrolysis Program, and $500 million for Clean Hydrogen Manufacturing and Recycling Initiatives. The U.S. DOE has already begun to move ahead with Hubs planning.

Hydrogen System Architecture

Green hydrogen-fueled microturbines are perfect for complementing the intermittent nature of wind and solar power, making them an ideal component of the modern clean and green microgrid. Further, when wind and solar energy production exceeds demand, excess energy can be used in the production of storable renewable hydrogen energy. Stored hydrogen provides a convenient high-density fuel source and can then be used as a carbon-free fuel for Capstone’s microturbines, which are easily located adjacent to fuel sources.

Microturbine customers then benefit with a decentralized, resilient, and flexible energy source, while providing cooling and heat for local use.

« Back to All Posts

• Share full article

Mexico’s President Bet Big on Oil. His Successor Will Be Stuck With the Tab.

Mexico’s next leader, Claudia Sheinbaum, is a climate scientist who has signaled a clean energy pivot. But a huge wager on fossil fuels by her political mentor stands in her way.

The Olmeca oil refinery belonging to Pemex, the state-controlled oil company, in Paraiso, Mexico. Credit... Yuri Cortez/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Supported by

By Simon Romero

Simon Romero has covered the politics of energy across Latin America, with postings in Venezuela and Brazil. He reported this article from Mexico City.

• Aug. 24, 2024

On a sweltering day in August, Claudia Sheinbaum appeared with her mentor, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to inaugurate one of the costliest infrastructure projects in Mexico’s history: a $16 billion oil refinery.

The sprawling complex in Mr. López Obrador’s home state, Tabasco, forms the capstone of an energy strategy that he will bequeath to Ms. Sheinbaum, a climate scientist, when she takes the presidency in October.

As countries around the world feverishly turn to clean energy sources, Mexico has placed a colossal bet on fossil fuels, with the costs of that strategy now coming painfully into view.

Mexico’s oil production tumbled to a 45-year low this year, one of the steepest output declines anywhere in the world this century. Blackouts plagued the country after Mr. López Obrador heaped scorn on wind farms that could help satisfy electricity demand. Natural gas imports for the strained grid are soaring , making energy independence an ever more distant dream.

Pemex, the state-controlled oil giant, is now the world’s most indebted oil company after going on a spending spree to build projects. To stave off a default on its nearly $100 billion debt, the company has required multibillion-dollar bailouts using taxpayer money.

The disorder in Mexico’s energy industry lays bare a dilemma that will shape the country’s fortunes — and Ms. Sheinbaum’s presidency — in the years to come. Ms. Sheinbaum, who has a Ph.D. in energy engineering, has signaled that she wants Mexico to pivot to clean energy sources. But the biggest obstacles in her way may be her mentor’s nationalistic energy policies that are fixated on oil — and her reluctance to bump heads with the man who helped put her in office.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .

Advertisement