George Washington University
IN-26: Innovation C

To raise the visibility of GW’s commitment to renewable energy and to provide a permanent, tangible way for students to engage with solar energy, GW created the ChargedUp Solar Design Competition. Student innovators were invited to participate in a design competition for a campus solar charging station sponsored by the university. With limited space in an urban setting, GW is able to make larger reductions to its carbon footprint by locating its solar project at another site in our PJM grid. However, raising awareness about the offsite Capital Partners Solar project back on campus in Washington, DC is inherently more challenging. The Capital Partners Solar Project is a partnership through which GW sources 50% of its energy from a 400 acre solar farm in North Carolina. Because students don’t regularly see or interact with the solar farm, many don’t know that it exists. At GW, student energy and interest is a key driving force behind sustainability progress, so it is important to educate students about this milestone. The winning solar ChargedUp design, a bench and table structure accompanied by a metal sculpture holding a solar panel, showcases the creativity and ingenuity of students. Weaving together science, art, and culture, the team designed the structure around the concept of bringing people together with renewable energy. The charging station is accompanied by signage that explains on-campus solar and the large-scale off-site solar farm. Placed centrally on campus, the completed charging station successfully provides an opportunity for students to engage with renewable energy, first-hand, as they use it to charge their personal devices outside. The first charging station was completed in the fall of 2017, and unveiled in a public event during Colonials Weekend, when parents are invited to visit campus for programs and events. The winner up design will be on the Mt. Vernon Campus. https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/taking-stock-sustainability-gw https://sustainability.gwu.edu/sites/sustainability.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Scorecard%202017.pdf https://vimeo.com/252404448 The positive measurable outcomes include: 1) High quality student design submissions. 2) Construction of two solar charging stations on GW's campuses 3) Effective communications including a social media campaign that reached 81,000 people, outdoor signage at the sites, University media coverage, a promotional video about the project. 4) The event to unveil the charging station, which included guest speakers and the release of a new sustainability progress report.