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American-Made Challenges

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Geothermal Collegiate Competition

Foster understanding of geothermal, communicate benefits of geothermal technologies, and overcome non-technical barriers to development.

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Teams134
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Summary

Overview

Through the Geothermal Collegiate Competition, the DOE Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) encourages students to develop innovative solutions for geothermal energy application challenges and build career skills for the clean energy workforce. By engaging students not traditionally involved with geothermal research, GTO aims to raise awareness of geothermal resources among communities and the public, thereby broadening the geothermal stakeholder base.

The Geothermal Collegiate Competition invites participation by teams of at least three students enrolled in accredited U.S.-based collegiate institutions or U.S. citizens enrolled at non-U.S. based collegiate institutions. In this case, “collegiate institution” refers to any school of post-secondary or higher education, including but not limited to community colleges, technical colleges, and traditional four-year and graduate-level universities. See “Who Can Enter” for more information on eligibility. There is no cost to register or participate.

Learn More

To learn more about the program and the current competition: 

The Geothermal Design Challenge is directed and administered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and is funded by the DOE Geothermal Technologies Office. 


Guidelines

CHALLENGE GUIDELINES

Please review the official rules  for the complete application process and instructions for competing.

If you want to receive updates on the prize or have any questions, please subscribe by using the contact feature on the HeroX platform or message us directly at

Timeline
Updates32

Challenge Updates

Register for 2024 Geothermal Collegiate Competition by 10/7!

Sept. 26, 2024, 12:24 p.m. PDT by GCC Prize Moderator

Registration for DOE's 2024 Geothermal Collegiate Competition closes Monday, Oct. 7, 2024,  at 11:59 p.m. ET! All policy and technical track teams must register before this deadline to be able to compete.

Gain experience in renewable energy while competing for thousands in cash prizes -- no previous geothermal experience required! You need three team member names and emails to register, but the team can change over the semester.

Signing up as a team on HeroX is important, but registration requires a separate step. To ensure your team is officially registered, one team member must: 

  • Visit HeroX and select “Solve This Challenge,” then complete the prompts. 
  • Go back to the competition’s HeroX page, select “Begin Entry,” and complete the entire registration form. 

To get started on your project, read the rules and check the timeline for important dates, including the Oct. 28 deadline to submit an optional deliverable for feedback. 

 Questions? Email geo.competition@nrel.gov.


Registration Now Open - 2024 Geothermal Collegiate Competition

Aug. 20, 2024, 3:36 p.m. PDT by GCC Prize Moderator

Registration is now open for the 2024 Geothermal Collegiate Competition! $10,000 for first place teams in multiple tracks; $6,000 for second place and $2,000 for third.

Register by September 16, 2024, to be paired with an industry mentor. The final date to register is October 7, 2024. 

To register: 

Click "Solve This Challenge" on HeroX 

Team captains must fill out the "2024 Geothermal Collegiate Competition Registration Form" (click 'Begin Entry') on behalf of the team to officially register.  

We recommend having all team members make a HeroX account and connect to their team. You can add team members after completing the registration form. 

After registering: 

READ the competition rules! 

Attend the Informational Webinar on September 12, 2024, at 4 p.m. EDT. 

Contact competition organizers at Geo.Competition@nrel.gov with questions. 

Begin your project - you can submit an optional deliverable on October 28, 2024, to receive feedback on your work in progress. 

Final deliverables are due on December 20, 2024. 


2023 GCC Office Hours TOMORROW, July 26

July 25, 2023, 10:34 a.m. PDT by GCC Prize Moderator

Join competition organizers TOMORROW, Wednesday, July 26 for the final Fall 2023 Geothermal Collegiate Competition Office Hours before competition registration opens on August 1!

Register here for the optional July 26, 1 pm EDT Office Hours to learn more about this year's challenge.

The next opportunity to talk with competition organizers will be at the August 15 Informational Webinar.


GCC Office Hours Today! 6/27/23

June 27, 2023, 8:09 a.m. PDT by GCC Prize Moderator

Join organizers TODAY, June 27 at 2 p.m. EDT for optional, virtual Office Hours for the Geothermal Collegiate Competition (GCC)

Register here and come with questions! A brief overview of the competition will also be provided.

Can't make it in June? Register for the July Office Hours on July 26.


2023 Geothermal Collegiate Competition Office Hours - June 27, 2 p.m. EDT

June 23, 2023, 12:36 p.m. PDT by GCC Prize Moderator

Considering competing in the Fall 2023 Geothermal Collegiate Competition for a chance at $10k? Join organizers Tuesday, June 27 at 2 p.m. EDT for optional, virtual Office Hours.

Register here and come with questions! A brief overview of the competition will also be provided.

Can't make it in June? Join the July Office Hours on July 26.


Forum4
Teams134
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Geothermal ND Geothermal ND
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Cypress Chargers Cypress Chargers
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Cal Geothermal Cal Geothermal
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NOVA Nighthawks NOVA Nighthawks
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Big Red Heat Big Red Heat
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GeoFitters GeoFitters
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Western Kentucky University's Geothermal Team Western Kentucky University's Geothermal Team
4 team members
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CSM-PE CSM-PE
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LUSE - Renewable Energy Club LUSE - Renewable Energy Club
6 team members
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Sooners Geothermal Team Sooners Geothermal Team
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Team A40 Team A40
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Montana State University's team Montana State University's team
3 team members
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Parlor City Geo Parlor City Geo
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UND Geothermal Vision UND Geothermal Vision
9 team members
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CU-Boulder Geothermal Design Team CU-Boulder Geothermal Design Team
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Resources
FAQ