U.S. Department of Energy Hydropower Collegiate Competition (HCC)
Team Name: Hydropower Wolverines
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
What is your team hoping to get out of your Hydropower Collegiate Competition (HCC) experience this year?
Because our team comes from a variety of disciplines, we begin our journey with varied goals—from industry exposure to expanding existing knowledge to learning more about hydropower career pathways. As our journeys intertwine, we unite under a shared passion for renewable energy. We hope to use the HCC as a platform to showcase our unique skills and visions for a clean energy future.
Why should people care about hydropower?
Hydropower is a consistent, reliable, and versatile energy source. While it already plays a crucial role in our power system, there are so many more layers of potential for us to uncover. But it will require innovative solutions and sustainable practices developed through interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure its continued growth.
Describe your project, objectives, and game plan.
Utilizing our proximity to the Geddes Dam, we plan to design our project to support Ann Arbor’s commitment to becoming a fully renewable-energy-powered city by 2030 and to fortify the city’s climate resilience.
What steps are your team taking to ensure a diverse and inclusive team?
Our team includes undergraduate and graduate students majoring in various disciplines, including engineering, environmental science, and economics. During team meetings, we value hearing from every member about their work progress and ideas. As we each work on our assignments, we simultaneously look out for ways to solve each other’s conflicts.
Who has your team connected with in the hydropower industry? What lessons have you learned from them, and how can your team apply those lessons to the competition?
Our team has engaged with numerous experts across the industry, gaining valuable knowledge that truly inspires our team and accelerates our learning. Notably, in an interview with Daniel Deng, a professional at a national laboratory, we learned about various designs related to fish-friendly underwater sensing technologies, which inspired our team to pay extra attention to factors that may impact the aquatic ecosystem.
If you’re a returning team, what lessons from previous years will you apply to this year? If you’re a new team, how did your team get involved in HCC?
The judges applauded the level of clarity and detail in our reports last year, and we are committed to upholding those high standards this year. We have also identified necessary improvements, including quantitative analysis of economic calculations and the consideration of future climate conditions. To address this, we’ve added two economists to the team to help support a more robust technoeconomic assessment.
If you had to choose a catchy slogan for your team, what would it be and why?
“Hydropower Wolverines: We’re here to keep the future clean.” Our slogan echoes our team’s collective vision for a clean energy future.
Follow our team on social media on:
- Instagram at @hydropowerwolverines
- LinkedIn at Hydropower Wolverines.
The Hydropower Wolverines include (from left to right): Mrunal Bhalerao, Stacey Jiang, Anqi Liu, Alena Fritch, Brock Beemer, Leah Malech (on screen), Harrison Otton, Eric Gavizon, and Professor Lei Zuo. Photo from the Hydropower Wolverines, University of Michigan
