University and college students from across Ontario are being invited to compete in finding solutions for energy problems. A $25,000 prize is on offer to the winner who brings forward the most promising business concept to assist in advancing the sector.
The challenge is being offered by the Ontario Centres of Excellence, and named in honour of OCE’s past Board Chair David McFadden. David McFadden was also Chair of Gowlings’ National Energy and Infrastructure Group, and a frequent speaker at APPrO conferences.
Up to 10 finalists will be selected to pitch their idea at OCE’s ‘Discovery’ trade show and conference on April 27-28, 2015. The winner will be announced at the end of the conference.
The theme for this year’s Energy Entrepreneur Challenge is “Meeting the Energy Challenge of Remote Communities”.
Organizers explain that hundreds of millions of people around the world live in remote communities with no access to electricity or supplies that are intermittent, unreliable and/or expensive. Affordable electricity is vital to enhancing the quality of life and economic prospects of the residents of remote communities. This year’s challenge is to develop sustainable electricity generation technology and/or distribution systems that will rapidly meet the needs of remote communities and be easy to install and maintain. The approach should be usable in both remote communities in Canada and those in other parts of the world.
To enter, the applicant must complete a three-minute pitch video and upload to YouTube. For more information on the challenge and David McFadden’s vision, visit http://ontariocentresofexcellence.cmail2.com/t/j-l-tujuat-byhdyydkd-h/.