A University of Northern British Columbia doctorate student was part of a winning team at a recent international event in Vancouver related to global energy issues.
Natural resources and environmental studies student Geoff de Ruiter and his three teammates won the FortisBC Community Energy Challenge at the International Student Energy Summi, held at the University of British Columbia last month, for their proposed community energy system and took home the $4,000 prize.
The challenge was judged by a panel made up of sustainable energy experts from FortisBC and former B.C. Premier Mike Harcourt. De Ruiter was also sponsored by FortisBC, one of the Summit's founding sponsors.
"It was extremely demanding work - I lost two nights of sleep out of four - but incredibly rewarding." said de Ruiter, who graduated from UNBC in 2008 and is returning this fall to work toward a PhD.
"The fact that the Challenge was scored by peers and industry professionals meant a lot to me."
Contest applicants were separated into six teams and asked to outline the details of a district energy system, detail the cost feasibility of their idea, market their concept in a video uploaded to YouTube, and give a final presentation.
De Ruiter's group "Team Synergy" proposed using waste water from the community's treatment plant as a central hub for energy and resources.
"I was impressed by the hard work, creativity and ability of each team to apply the different energy sources presented to them in a competitive environment," said FortisBC vice president for energy solutions and external relations Doug Stout.
"Students were encouraged to explore innovative ways to supply energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a typical North American city, which the winning team did very well."
De Ruiter's PhD work this fall will involve researching the potential for bioenergy and bio-carbon sequestration at the Prince George Waste Water Treatment Plant. He is also researching the feasibility of the university's renewable energy opportunities with a specific focus on wind energy, a project made possible by UNBC's Green Fund.
More than 300 delegates from 35 countries attended the summit, a forum for post-secondary students to discuss global energy issues.
