College students develop solar project expansion proposals in construction competition

Milwaukee School of Engineering won 1st place in the 2023 ASC Student Competition Regions 6 and 7 for Rosendin’s Electrical Challenge.

Rosendin is proud to recognize and congratulate the winning teams in the 2023 Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Regions 6 & 7 Student Competition’s Electrical Challenge. The annual competition attracts the nation’s top construction and engineering college students who have 14 hours to develop building solutions using real-world applications.

The six-member Milwaukee School of Engineering team secured first place with the most comprehensive proposal to build an addition to a renewable energy facility in Nevada. The team from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo took second place and Ferris State University placed third.

“We are immensely proud of all the students who participated in this year’s ASC Competition and congratulate the top three teams in Rosendin’s Electrical Challenge for tackling our scenario to expand clean energy production,” said Brandon Stephens, Rosendin VP and ASC Electrical Challenge Judge. “We developed this challenge to give students valuable insight to the expanding renewable energy industry and the types of problems they will be solving once they start their careers.”

Cal Poly SLO took 2nd place in the 2023 ASC Student Competition Regions 6 and 7 for Rosendin’s Electrical Challenge.

As the sponsor of the electrical challenge since 2019, Rosendin put a new spin on the event. They challenged students to develop a proposal to expand the Townsite Solar + Storage Facility in Boulder City, Nevada. Teams had to develop a cost estimate, site logistics and delivery offload plan, and explain how to staff the project in a competitive workforce environment. Each team presented its proposal and fielded questions from Rosendin’s judging panel.

“This event benefits students and judges because we can see how the next generation approaches challenges that the industry faces every day,” said Naomi Salgado, Rosendin Renewable Energy Group project manager and ASC Electrical Challenge Judge. “The clean energy industry is rapidly expanding under the Inflation Reduction Act and is expected to add 9 million new jobs over the next ten years, so we will be looking to these young people to help us shape a better future.”

Ferris State University took 3rd place in the 2023 ASC Student Competition Regions 6 and 7 for Rosendin’s Electrical Challenge.

Rosendin’s judging panel also included Tamara Rapozo, division manager, and Jeremy Schaefer, corporate training manager, as well as division manager Mark Stone and senior project manager Robert Clark, who competed in the event when they were students.

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, has competed in the ASC Student Competition for over 30 years. This year, five out of 12 Cal Poly teams placed in the top three spots in their respective categories. Professors from the Milwaukee School of Engineering and Ferris State University also bring teams annually.

The 36th annual ASC Student Competition and Construction Management Conference also connected students with key executives for internships and career opportunities. Student teams from universities around the country also competed in categories such as Integrated Projects, Virtual Design & Construction, Sustainable Building, Preconstruction Services, Project Management and others. The Associated Schools of Construction is the professional association for the development and advancement of construction education.

News item from Rosendin