HONOLULU (Press Release) — Elemental Excelerator, a leading non-profit investor focused on scaling climate solutions and social impact for all communities, has been selected as the Hawaii/Pacific Island Regional Partner for the Department of Energy’s EnergyTech University Prize or EnergyTech UP. The call for university student teams to submit proposals focused on sustainable energy is currently active, with an application deadline of Jan. 26, 2023 at 5:59 p.m. Hawaii time (11:59 p.m. Eastern).
The EnergyTech UP competition awards $370,000 in cash prizes for student teams that successfully identify a promising energy technology, assess its market potential, and create a business plan for commercialization. Pacific Islands include Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. One regional winner will receive $3,000 and move on to the national competition.
“We are honored to have been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to inspire and facilitate submissions in our region,” said Elemental’s Director of External Affairs Tiffany Huynh. “The enthusiasm around this nationwide contest underscores the opportunity and need to identify energy technologies that are poised to change the future climate landscape — especially here in the Pacific where we see the effects of climate change on our communities, from the high cost of energy to homes and businesses affected by rising sea levels.”
The 2022 competition welcomed more than 500 competing students from 113 schools who had an opportunity to build their entrepreneurial and leadership skills, taking an idea from vision to impact.
An informational webinar is scheduled for Dec. 6, 2022 9 a.m. Hawaii time (3 p.m. Eastern). Interested applicants can sign up for the webinar at https://www.herox.com/EnergyTechUP/timeline/.
Interested students or faculty are encouraged to start following EnergyTech UP to stay up to date on submission deadlines and requirements, prize rules, and more.
About Elemental Excelerator
Elemental Excelerator is a leading non-profit investor focused on scaling climate solutions and social impact for all communities. Elemental fills two gaps that are fundamental to tackling climate change: funding first-of-a-kind projects for climate technologies in real communities, and embedding equity and access into climate solutions.
About EnergyTech UP
EnergyTech UP aims to cultivate the next generation of energy innovators while accelerating the transfer of energy technologies to market. This prize is sponsored by the Office of Technology Transitions at the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as several other program offices. EnergyTech UP, in partnership with American-Made Challenges, is designed to be approachable, equitable, and scalable nationwide. Winners will be chosen based on the strength of their business proposal. Students interested in participating in this prize will be provided with a curated list of National Lab technologies that are ready for commercialization and that can be used for their business plan. More information is available at https://www.energy.gov/technologytransitions/energytech-university-prize/.
