As part of our Rapid Innovation course, students Hannah Runyan, Diego Hincapie-Ossa, and Connor Kannally have been tasked with a wicked challenge: How can we convince leaders to take up green energy projects that will cost more money than they save? These students have been brought this challenge by Engie to help improve the rate at which energy projects are approved as part of Ohio State’s initiative to be carbon neutral by 2040.
This week, Hannah and Diego led the discussion at our Sustainable Energy Community Conversation to talk about what they have learned in the first few weeks of the course about their challenge and to get feedback on their ideas while hearing about some options they might not have considered.
One of the prominent ideas that was discussed was how to get the student body involved in advocating for projects. Several students named organizations on campus that would be great allies for projects that can help lower the university’s carbon footprint.
Another discussion point was how to connect with the storytelling aspect of Ohio State’s goals. Hannah and Diego asked the student community what other ways Ohio State may find value beyond dollar figures. One student noted that one of the favored marketing tactics of universities is to be able to be “the first” to do something. Another noted that finding partnerships with other BIG universities is always a motivator.
Where this project will go is still in the air as the student team continues their journey through the innovation process. Our Student Communities are a great place to source ideas and get feedback from a variety of people with diverse backgrounds and ideas.
We love giving our students the chance to lead these conversations and allow them to explore topics on their terms while sourcing more information for innovation!
