Finalists from Illinois Tech, Iowa State and Penn State Judged Sept. 29 at NECA Convention
BETHESDA, MD — Three student chapter team finalists from the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) will compete in ELECTRI International’s 2018 Green Energy Challenge in Philadelphia.
Presenting net-zero energy solutions for a chosen community facility, this year’s NECA Student Chapter finalists include Iowa State University, the Illinois Institute of Technology and Penn State. Teams will be judged during oral project presentations on Saturday, Sept. 29 from 1:30 p.m. – 3: 30 p.m. during the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Convention & Trade Show, the industry’s largest event.
“The competition demonstrates our students’ ingenuity and commitment to sustainable practices, especially as our industry faces a critical workforce shortage,” said NECA President David Long, president, Miller Electric Co., Jacksonville, Florida.
Chosen from hundreds of entries, this year’s competition challenged the teams to prepare a proposal for a community facility outlining ways the facility could achieve net-zero energy consumption by incorporating energy saving measures and distributed energy resources. The challenge also included a community service requirement. Teams had to create a volunteer plan of action and demonstrate the activity and number of hours volunteered at the facility chosen for their team’s project.
The annual Green Energy Challenge tests NECA Student Chapter teams’ ability to analyze electrical construction management problems and create a comprehensive plan and budget for an appropriate retrofit. Students are challenged to develop technical skills that are vital to careers in electrical construction and professional skills including time management, written communication, and oral presentation.
This year’s jury includes EC industry members Jeremy Foster, Lutron Electronics; Rob Turner, Turner Electric Service Inc.; Tom Feissle, Southwire; Adam Rude, ERMCO; Angie Hart, Rosendin; Tricia Ferry, VEC Inc.; Joel Smith, Greenlee; Kellie Holland, Empire Electric; Tony Tavia, Graybar; and Stephen Gianotti, Arcadia Electrical.
ELECTRI International’s website includes last year’s winners, the finalists’ project proposals and poster competition winners.
The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), is the voice of the $160 billion electrical construction industry that brings power, light and communication technology to buildings and communities across the U.S. Visit http://www.necaconvention.org.
