Students pitch sustainability innovations at inaugural Hackathon
Published:
Students pitch sustainability innovations at inaugural Hackathon - Carnegie Mellon University Press Release: Group Featured as First Place Team
First Place: Space Technology on Earth Claire Bielski (CEE), Karma Bridgman (ECE), Chengyi Cai (HNZ), and Katherine Piper (CEE)
The CK Innovation Team was awarded first place for their project Space Technology on Earth. Drawing inspiration from NASA-developed cooling systems currently used on satellites and space stations, the team proposed retrofitting existing data centers with two-phase liquid cooling technology that dramatically reduces water and electricity use. Their approach could cut cooling energy consumption by up to 75% and reduce water use by 90%, all within a near-silent operation that offers a scalable, space-grade solution to one of the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges.
The team was awarded top prize, the Sustainable Impact Award, which came with a cash prize sponsored by the Center for Engineering Resilience and Climate Adaptation, a research center at CMU focused on strengthening our infrastructure and communities in the face of climate change.