our projects
About Duke Energy Club Projects
The Duke Undergraduate Energy Club aims to explore the real-world energy sector, engage with the greater energy community, and help solve the critical energy challenges of today. Each semester, we collaborate with companies and organizations in the energy and sustainability fields to offer pro-bono consulting projects for students. Through these projects, we connect students with industry professionals, helping students build real-world skills while also delivering results for our partners.
Spring 2024 Projects
This Spring, Duke Energy Club is excited to introduce a new cohort of projects in collaboration with the climate tech and sustainability industry. Being part of an Energy Club project is an amazing opportunity to make a real-world impact, gain invaluable knowledge & perspectives, and have the experience of working with energy industry leaders & other highly enthusiastic peers. Spring projects will run from February to April 2024. We encourage everyone to apply, regardless of experience.
Undergraduate students are welcomed to apply as either project manager or project analyst.
Project managers are responsible for devising and driving project execution plans, managing the project team, and leading the communication with clients. For prospective project managers, applications are due Tuesday 1/17 at 11:59 PM.
Project analysts will take ownership of individual parts of a project, as one will develop in-depth learning on specific fronts and be responsible for specific workstreams, while learning holistically from the project. For prospective project analysts, applications are due Sunday 1/21 at 11:59 PM.
Graduate students are welcomed to apply as the advisory project fellow role.
For prospective project fellows, applications are due Sunday 1/21 at 11:59 PM.
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Please find the description of selected Spring 2024 projects below.
Competitive Analysis on the Bio-Mining and Geological Hydrogen Sectors with an Investment Brief
with Cemvita Factories
Cemvita is a developer of microbial-based solutions for the energy transition including sustainable biofuel production, hydrogen extraction, and lithium & copper bio-mining. Their main focus is on using microbial fermentation to produce SAF from sustainable feedstocks including captured CO2 and recently signed an offtake agreement with United Airlines (one of their investors) for up to one Billion gallons of SAF. Cemvita has also successfully spun out two subsidiaries focused on the latter technologies listed above: Gold Hydrogen and Endolith.
The project will be conducting a competitive analysis on other major players in the bio-mining and/or geologic hydrogen space. This will include summarizing all major players, their fundraising stage, their current production scale, and their distinctive approach. If there is sufficient time, a pricing analysis on Hydrogen, Copper, Lithium, or Sugar-Feedstocks will also be included as a separate deliverable. The final deliverable will also include information about the deal market as it pertains to fundraising efforts and will allow the team to dive into market trends and convey to Cemvita what they believe about the current market appetite for capital raising in these sub-sectors.
Applicants with an interest in Finance, and prior experience looking at market landscapes and climate tech are encouraged to apply!
Technological Analysis of Decarbonization Efforts in the Middle East
with 8 Rivers
8 Rivers develops sustainable, infrastructure-scale solutions to help companies and governments profitably achieve their Net Zero aspirations, as well as addressing other important societal problems. They provide solutions from innovation to commercialization to deployment.
This project aims to conduct a thorough analysis of decarbonization efforts in the Middle East, focusing on a variety of aspects to gain a comprehensive understanding of the region's progress and challenges in this area. The objective is to explore and identify the technologies, projects, and strategies being implemented or proposed for decarbonization, distinguishing between existing infrastructure and future plans. Key elements of the study include assessing climate intensity scores, costs, efficiencies, and identifying the key players involved in these initiatives, such as domestic and international companies, government entities, and academic institutions. The project will also examine the support mechanisms for these initiatives, the industries and governments most invested in decarbonization, public sentiment towards these efforts, and the relevant policies across the Middle East. Additionally, the study aims to evaluate the economic size and growth factors of the Middle Eastern decarbonization market, exploring any economic or geopolitical barriers, and comparing these efforts to global standards. The deliverables will be a formal presentation and a comprehensive written report, summarizing findings and insights at the conclusion of the study.
Applicants with a strong interest in climate tech and novel decarbonization technologies, with an emphasis on techno economic analysis are encouraged to apply!
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis for Aging Renewables
with Strata Clean Energy
Strata Clean Energy specializes in developing and providing utility-scale solar and energy storage solutions. The company operates as a vertically integrated entity, encompassing the entire development process including engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services. Their focus is on delivering large-scale solar energy projects, complemented by energy storage capabilities, to a wide range of clients.
An increasingly critical area of concern in the global transition toward renewable energy is how to address the challenges of aging renewable infrastructure. This project aims to investigate how renewable owners and stakeholders can utilize decision methodology to determine and put forth the best strategies in responding to aging renewable technology (e.g. repowering, decommissioning the site and repurposing the land, etc.). The project will involve conducting FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) for renewable energy developments alongside a Delphi Study to refine earlier conclusions. The final deliverable will also include a case study analysis of solar farms located in North Carolina utilizing the findings from the FMEA and Delphi Study, enabling analysts to directly apply their research in a real-world context. Applicants with a background in engineering and/or policy are encouraged to apply.
Analysis and Narrative Construction of Energy Policy in the 2024 US Presidential Election
with SunCast Media
SunCast Media helps companies in the renewable sector share knowledge through digital media to accelerate the clean energy transition. The SunCast podcast, founded in 2015 as a first-of-its-kind solar podcast for emerging markets, now features 600+ episodes with solar industry leaders.
This project will be a continuation of the Energy Club’s collaboration with SunCast Media this past semester. The project will be centered around an analysis of the important policies that will be proposed and debated to shape the energy industry in the context of the current political climate, specifically the 2024 United States Presidential Election. Project analysts will be able to research the policies that interest them the most, and learn how to craft stories about these policies through marketing techniques including video, infographics, newsletter, and social media copy, and will have the opportunity to analyze the efficacy of different forms of digital media in real-time. Applicants with an interest in journalism and visual media are strongly encouraged to apply.
Market Analysis and Solar Permitting Research
with Silicon Ranch
Silicon Ranch leads the Southeast in renewable energy and storage development, with over 5GW of solar and battery systems across the US and Canada. Every project in Silicon Ranch’s portfolio is owned and operated by the company, and Silicon Ranch has a 100% success rate in delivering on every one of its contracts, with over 150 solar projects currently built and running across the country.
In this project, the team will conduct market analysis on solar development sites throughout the Southeast. Students will identify specific zoning regulations and permitting requirements at the county and state level where Silicon Ranch is looking to site projects, and determine how associated costs would impact those projects. As Silicon Ranch fully owns the land on which each project is situated, students will also examine land costs and deliver findings to the Silicon Ranch team.
Past Partners
Case studies
Climate Adaptive
Infrastructure Fund
Development Analysis
& Policy Research
2022 Spring
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Varea Energy
Market Research
& Financing Research
2022 Spring
Terrafuse AI
Policy Research
& Market Research
2022 Spring
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Join Projects
For Prospective Partners
Please see this document for a detailed introduction on project organization and application process. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us to discuss potential collaborations!