Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation announce the winning team of Go Green in the City 2018, its international student case study competition focusing on innovative energy solutions for smart cities. 

Zvirevo Chisadza and Tariro Cynthia Mutsindikwa of Team Latent Innovations from the Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences in Algeria created a new Organic Photovoltaic Greenhouse System that generates energy from thegreenhouse cover material. It can generate sustainable energy off-grid, to in turn increase crop production and take a step forward in the global fight against hunger. 

Powered greenhouses have emerged as an innovative solution to increase crop production with the potential to reduce hunger by up to 20 percent. However, powered greenhouses consume large amounts of energy. Team Latent Innovations’ creation introduces a greenhouse cover made of flexible organic solar cells that enables sustainable, off-grid generation to power the greenhouse.

“We’re excited to work with Schneider Electric to introduce our innovation to the world,” said Team Latent Innovations. “We’re passionate about the possibilities for powered greenhouses in a sustainable way to solve world hunger and are honoured to be recognized as the winner team in the Go Green in the City competition.”

In addition to the overall competition winner, Schneider Electric also announced that Thanh Nguyen Thi and Ha Doan Thi Thu from Duy Tan University in Vietnam received the “Women in Business Award” recognizing an all-female teamamong the 2018 participants.

Finding bold ideas to fight climate change 

The Go Green in the City awards coincide with the upcoming COP24 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, that will take place in Katowice, Poland, at the beginning of December. 

“As COP24 approaches, we need to be ready to rethink our collective approach to climate change for the sake of our planet” said Olivier Blum, Schneider Electric’s Chief Human Resources Officer. “The high quality of submissions, particularly from the finalists, is proof that young people with vision will transform the way we live and do business for a sustainable future. Schneider Electric has a bold vision for solving the world’s energy paradox, and the winners have demonstrated how this vision can be put into action.”

24,000 students submitted innovations for the competition 

Now in its eighth year, Go Green in the City has become a major event for business and engineering students around the world. 

This year, more than 24,000 young innovators from 3,190 universities in 163 countries took part, including 58 percent women. Winners and runners-up received mentoring from Schneider Electric experts, gained networking opportunities, travel, and cash prizes.  

Ten finalist teams, from the USA, China, Germany, Algeria, Indonesia, Brazil, India, Spain, Canada and Vietnam gathered in Atlanta, USA, in conjunction with the Schneider Electric North American Innovation Summit to present their ideas in front of a VIP panel of international Schneider Electric business leaders and technical experts.This Innovation Summit North America brings together 1,200+ of the brightest entrepreneurs, executives, and industry leaders from across North America on November 13-14, 2018, at Hilton Atlanta Downtown.

Zvirevo Chisadza and Tariro Cynthia Mutsindikwa will be offered the chance to start a career at Schneider Electric, and will be given the opportunity to visit and explore any two cities in the world of their choice where Schneider Electric is present with opportunities to network with energy industry professionals.