2020 Sustainability Design Challenge aims to turn green ideas into student-led startups

For the second year, the Clean Energy Zone (CEZ) hosted its Sustainability Design Challenge, a competition for Ryerson University students across all programs to gather to network, innovate and jumpstart their green startups. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, things looked a little different: the entire competition took place online, with teams connecting via Zoom and Slack.

Held June 10 to 12, 40 students, spread out across eight teams, were tasked with developing an innovative solution for overcoming barriers to renewable energy in cities. The event featured workshops led by guest speakers Shuvo Chowdhury, director of strategy for renewable energy company Amp, Dave Senior, co-founder of DMZ-based company Burstn, and Reece Steinberg, business librarian at Ted Rogers School of Management and Ryerson Zones, to help inspire participants. 

Guest judges Bolis Ibrahim, co-founder and CEO of CEZ-based Argentum Electronics, and Jozsef Bogdan, co-founder of CEZ-based Niso Energy, marked each team based on their concept and presentation. Two groups stood out, walking away with a cash prize and incubation and support from the Clean Energy Zone to start their business.

CO Capture took first place with their concept to capture carbon dioxide emitted from homes to be put through a system that produces electricity as a byproduct to be stored and sold. Team member Alston Menezes, a fourth-year computer engineering student, thought the event was a great opportunity to challenge himself and break into renewable energy.

“I was planning to create a career in this field, and I really didn’t have any background experience,” said Menezes. “I normally don’t participate in these competitions but I thought this [was] a good place to start to get some real-world information about renewable energy.”

Fourth-year electrical engineering student Tahmid Sajin was also part of the winning team. He thought that the event provided an excellent opportunity to network with students from outside his program.

“Usually in other competitions we choose our own groups, but for this one, we got partnered up,” explained Sajin. “We got to learn about what other engineering disciplines studied, what they do [and] how that reflects in our own work.”

Energy Squad, who organized their four-person team into different but complementary roles, including project coordinator, researcher and idea developer, placed second. The team saw success with their concept to harness wave energy from oceans using a smart buoy. Team member Muhammed Zaka Shaheryar, a fifth-year industrial engineering student, thought the contest was a welcome break from the academic rigour of classes. 

“We usually do end-of-year projects, but this was more of a fun thing — we weren’t worried about grades,” said Shaheryar. “We were still learning new things, but in a different way.”

Fourth-year mechanical engineering student Abhishek Menon, a two-time challenge participant and member of Energy Squad, thought the guest speakers were really insightful.

“The best part about this year was [the] workshops,” said Menon. “The fact that we had different people talk about their businesses and the energy sector was pretty cool.”

For now, both teams are preparing to translate their ideas into green businesses with the Clean Energy Zone.

“Even though we’re working remotely and working amid a pandemic, we need to keep going and push the boundaries on what we can do with renewable energy,” said CO Capture member Jeremy Bittick, a third-year mechanical engineering student.