Energy and the Environment: Design and Innovation (2024-2025)

This team sought to identify, design and prototype new energy technologies and systems that balance technical performance with environmental, social and financial considerations. Building on past projects that ranged from solar efficiency improvements to renewable microgrids, the 2024–25 team focused on three areas relevant to Duke and beyond: steam production, campus microgrids and data center energy use.

One subteam conducted an in-depth assessment of whether Duke could shift part of its steam production to electricity through heat pump technology. Using a market-available system from AtmosZero, the group modeled emissions reductions and financial feasibility, ultimately recommending that the University continue exploring this option to cut carbon emissions while maintaining district heating. Another subteam designed and prototyped a solar-powered umbrella that can charge multiple devices outdoors. While the environmental benefits were modest, students responded positively in surveys, highlighting the project’s educational and convenience value.

A third subteam developed an information and decision-making tool for data center design, compiling data on facility types, cooling methods, energy sources and community impacts. The resulting decision tree can help planners, policymakers and businesses weigh trade-offs and align data center development with environmental and social priorities. Each subteam presented a poster at the 2025 Fortin Foundation Bass Connections showcase in April.

Timing