Second place in the "Destination Decarbonization Challenge" went to Team Six-Thousand Dollar, consisting of Fresno State student Hillary Rodriguez and Lesley Lopez. Photo by Frank Lopez

Last week, the Water, Energy, and Technology (WET) Center at Fresno State hosted a pitch event for student ideas to reduce carbon emissions in the Central Valley.

The inaugural “Destination Decarbonization Challenge” April 21 offered undergrads across California — participants included students from Sacramento State and San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton — the chance to present new and innovative ideas to help reduce carbon emissions.

Eight teams presented their projects to a panel of judges that included industry and environmental experts for a chance to win cash prizes.

Samuel Fairbanks, community engagement and outreach specialists at the WET Center, said the prize money comes without restrictions.

“This doesn’t have to go towards school—we hope it goes into the next project and they continue taking it to the next level,” Fairbanks said.

 

The first-place award for $6,000 went to Team Project Zero, comprised of three Fresno State students — Gurmannat Chalotra, Amneek Chalotra and Savera Sheikh. Team Project Zero came up with a prototype device to measure carbon content in soil, enabling farmers to maximize land efficiency.

The second-place, $4,000 prize went to Team Six-Thousand Dollar, comprised of Fresno State students Hillary Rodriguez and Lesley Lopez. They won second place for their transportation alternatives ideas, including an app-based carpool program for Fresno State students that confirms enrollment status and provides location and departure times.

Third place went to Team SustainaBulldogs, made up of Fresno State students Stephanie Marquez, Alexis Valadez and Jorge Armenta.

The $2,500 went to SustainaBulldogs for their idea to implement self-contained electricity microgrids across the Central Velley, with a focus in Fresno County.

The project also aims to use urban green space for carbon sequestration and use data analysis to determine which trees are best for each location.

The Destination Decarbonization Challenge was launched by the WET Center in December 2022, open to undergraduate students in groups of two to four