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7th Annual Green Energy Challenge: Iowa State Cyclones Bring Home Second Win

In August, ELECTRI International selected three NECA student chapters as finalists for the 2015 Green Energy Challenge. Out of 17 proposals the panel selected Iowa State University, Pennsylvania State University and the Illinois Institute of Technology as finalists, providing each student chapter with a $2,000 travel award.

On Saturday, Oct. 3, the teams faced the jury of NECA member contactors and industry partners at the annual NECA Convention and Trade Show in San Francisco. Each team developed a backup power system and resiliency plan for an existing facility demonstrating critical power needs. Each student chapter had 15 minutes to present and an additional 10 minutes to field project questions from the judges and convince the panel that their design and project proposal delivered the most significant payback and long term energy efficiency.

For the second year in a row the Iowa State Cyclone Energy Team captured first place and a $4,000 cash prize from ELECTRI.

The winning proposal

Cyclone Energy selected Iowa State’s Administrative Services Building (ASB) as the target facility. Housing one of the university’s two datacenters, uninterrupted power is critical to ASB’s operations. The students interviewed ASB employees to assess their needs and determine how the project could improve the overall health and wellness of occupants. Outdated fluorescent fixtures created uneven distribution and shadowy workspaces for employees. In response Cyclone Energy went to work to develop a LED lighting retrofit, including 400 fixtures with occupancy sensors and further daylight harvesting.

Part of the project plan also incorporated a critical load and microgrid analysis. Cyclone Energy’s design included the implementation of more than 442 solar modules to generate 143 kilowatts of renewable energy.

No project is feasible without an estimate, schedule and financing course of action. Cyclone Energy students worked to develop an accurate project cost, attractive payback period and a schedule utilizing summer months to minimize disruption and downtime. ASB will remain operational throughout the LED retrofit and solar array installation.

As a nonprofit university, Cyclone Energy turned to the Iowa Energy Bank Loan to secure low-interest financing for the project, providing energy audit documentation.

Project stats

Total project cost: just over $1 million

Duration: 165 calendar days

Projected completion: September 2016

Payback period: 9.3 years with an annual savings of more than $67,000 per year

Iowa State was named the winner of the Green Energy Challenge at the Opening General Session of NECA 2015  in San Francisco Sunday, Oct. 4.

This annual event helps engage student chapters across the country, challenging them to develop real-life proposals, sharpen professional oral and written communication skills and develop future leaders in energy-efficient project planning and design.

Testimonials

Kyle Gahm was instrumental in coordinating this project from beginning to end. He was always available and a pleasure to work with. It would be a pleasure to work with Kyle down the road. Bill Keaton was very impressive in raising money from advertising which resulted in ASE getting the cover story, so thank you Bill. Lia Prysunka and Jeanee Dudley are both very impressive individuals who deserve a lot of credit for this featured piece. They were both very patient and accepting of any changes we suggested. The format, quality, and resolution was awesome. To sum it all up: Our upper management, who never have been high on PR and things of this nature said that it was "absolutely fantastic" and were blown away. They now are requesting multiple copies of the full magazine and are very proud of the work you all put in. Thanks again.
— Ryan Sanzari, Director of Operations, Alfred Sanzari Enterprises
Working with Kyle at TrueLine Publishing was a great experience. We are quite pleased with how the article about Souder Brothers turned out. The magazine article and photo spread is going to be a very effective tool to use in our marketing. If you have the opportunity to be featured in a project like this, I would recommend doing it. Kyle and his team made the whole process very smooth and we are happy to have been a part of the latest edition of US Builders Review.
— Corinne Schaffer, Project Manager, Souder Brothers Construction
It was an absolute pleasure to work with the writers and editorial team at TrueLine Publishing for our recent article in US Builders Review. From the start of the project, it was apparent that everyone involved was very concerned with accuracy and getting the facts right. They were also very conscientious about soliciting our feedback and ensuring that we were happy with the content and with the manner in which Giroux Glass was described in the finalized piece.
— Barbara Kotsos, Director of Marketing & PR, Giroux Glass
The team at US Builders Review is professional and did a great job with your published article. They asked for and listened to my feedback and responded quickly to any requests I made.
— Susan Courter, Director of Business Development, R.E. Crawford Construction
TrueLine Publishing was a delight to work with. They were extremely patient and worked diligently to get our article written and published. The team always responded in a timely manner and was courteous. I look forward to working with TrueLine Publishing in the future and will recommend them to other businesses.
— Crystal Leos, Business Development, DALLASWHITE Property Restoration
I would like to commend the US Builders Review staff for their work in developing and writing a fantastic article for Miller Contracting Group, Inc. It was truly a pleasure to work with their professional and well organized staff.
— Chuck Daniels, Business Manager, Miller Contracting Group Inc.
I’m blown away with the value that could come out of our partnership through this article. Working with the US Builders Review team is something that I have never experienced before and every day I feel even more privileged to be with EJH Construction, I never take for granted the opportunities that have come my way.  I am so excited about what our future looks like based on the relationship that has been built with the US Builders Review team.
Jennifer Wilhelmsen – Director of Human Resources, EJH Construction Inc.
My experience with US Builders Review was positive from start to finish. The staff conducted each interaction with the utmost professionalism, whether over the phone or by email. Beginning with the initial telephone interview US Builders Review carefully gathered information to form a draft document then incorporated my minimal edits required to achieve factual accuracy in the finished article. US Builders Review is a pleasure to work with.
— Tim Craddock, President, Vansant & Gusler Inc.
We are excited to be featured as a case study in US Builders Review and look forward to sharing our company’s story with a national audience.
— Ryan Sanzari, Director of Operations, Alfred Sanzari Enterprises
The staff was very helpful and easy to work with while developing our story. They were always open to our ideas and provided us useful information to maximize our visibility using social media. We were certainly pleased with final article.
— Daryl Whitmer, Marketing Program Manager, Harrison French & Associates (HFA)

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