International Future Energy Challenge

In 2001, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in partnership with the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the U. S. Department of Defense (DOD), and other sponsors, organized the first Future Energy Challenge competition. The objective was to build prototype, low-cost inverters to support fuel cell power systems. This competition was originally open to schools in North America with accredited engineering programs. The 2001 Future Energy Challenge focused on the emerging field of distributed electricity generation systems, seeking to dramatically improve the design and reduce the cost of dc-ac inverters and interface systems for use in distributed generation systems. The objectives were to design elegant, manufacturable systems that would reduce the costs of commercial interface systems by at least 50% and, thereby, accelerate the deployment of distributed generation systems in homes and buildings. Final events were conducted at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Morgantown, WV, USA. Speakers from IEEE, DOE, and DOD introduced the competition and interacted with students during the event week. Hardware was tested with an experimental fuel cell at the NETL site. The 2001 Challenge was a success, and represented the first in a biannual series of energy-based student team design competitions.

For more information, please see the International Future Energy website: http://www.energychallenge.org/

Important Event Information

Congratulations to the following winners:

Topic (A) Low Cost Lithium-Ion Battery Charger for Automotive and Renewable Energy Applications:

Topic (B) Low Power Induction Motor Drive System Supplied from a Single Photovoltaic Panel for an Emergency Water Treatment Device Maximizer: