Pitt Students Shine Bright in NREL Solar District Cup
Interdisciplinary team places first in divisional nationwide solar design competition
When they enrolled in ENGR 1907: Sustainability Capstone, University of Pittsburgh engineering students Dalia Chemaitilly and John Ufer didn’t imagine they would be designing an extensive solar project for a medical complex in Hersey, Pennsylvania. They had no idea that they would be learning new software and researching ordinance codes, zoning laws, tax credits, and topography. But that’s the amazing thing about a project-based class—it can push students further than they imagined.
For their project this past semester, Chemaitilly (mechanical engineering) and Ufer (chemical engineering), with fellow students Siva Surulivel (civil engineering graduate student) and Fiorente Pampena (urban planning), entered the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Solar District Cup. The competition challenged 81 interdisciplinary teams across six divisions to design a solar project from scratch. In its first year competing, the Pitt team placed first in its division and were runners-up for the entire competition.
So you want to be a solar developer
“To earn a Sustainability Certificate at Pitt, students must successfully complete ENGR 1907,” said Tony Kerzmann, associate professor of mechanical engineering and materials science. “At the beginning of the semester, we group students by interest and assign them a project. This spring, one of those projects was the Solar District Cup.”
NREL’s Solar District Cup is an annual competition that provides college students with hands-on experience developing solar infrastructure. Teams create a comprehensive plan to introduce solar power to an actual site.
For Pitt and 13 other teams in the MidAtlantic region, that site was the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pa. Teams were tasked with developing a system that would power most of the hospital while respecting the community and environment.
To create a development plan, conceptual design, distribution approach, and financial analysis, the Pitt team had to research zoning laws, solar ordinances, permitting, and National Electric Code regulations. They had to learn new software and conduct soil, topography, and even a hail-risk analysis.
“Most students don’t get these experiences in class,” said Chemaitilly.
“None of us had too much experience on the financial side,” said Ufer. “I had to do a lot of research about tax credits and depreciation—I had to model net present value and break-even time.”
As they worked all semester, Pitt’s team developed a 90-page executive summary with reports and images, along with a presentation.
“The team was fantastic,” said Kerzmann. “From an educational perspective, there’s no way I could teach a class where they would ever learn this much.”
Thinking big, and creatively
Essential to successful deployment of solar is community engagement—keeping people involved in the solar array. That idea guided Pitt’s team.
“They did a great job incorporating solar into the environment,” said Kerzmann. “They developed agrivoltaics to promote dual-use land space and included solar picnic tables and park benches, and solar parking canopies.”
They also used as much space as possible to produce more energy. Whereas most teams proposed systems that could generate a half megawatt, Pitt’s team designed one that could generate 26.3 megawatts.
“We thought, why not go as creative as possible, while keeping it reasonable,” said Chemaitilly. She noted how, initially, team members each designed their own systems. “We presented our ideas and rationale. Together, we picked the best aspects of each design and synthesized them into our final plan.”
“We learned how to focus on our individual strengths and interests,” added Ufer, “and I think that’s why we won our division.”
Fueling a solar-powered future
For Chemaitilly and Ufer, the Solar District Cup has fueled their interest in renewable energy.
Through the Swanson School of Engineering’s co-op program, Chemaitilly has already worked three semesters with Oriden, a Pittsburgh-based company that develops renewable energy projects.
“The co-op program at Pitt is truly one of a kind,” said Chemaitilly. “With this competition, I got to apply what I’ve learned at the co-op. It’s really solidified my interest in a career in solar power."
Ufer has also pursued internship opportunities, including Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) through the National Science Foundation. He researched wind and solar modeling, testing how accurately modeling software could predict real-time energy generation, and he presented his research at a conference.
“I’ve always been interested in renewable energy broadly,” Ufer said, “but after this competition, I have so much more experience with solar. I gained valuable skills that I will use after I graduate and begin looking for jobs.”