College students apply 'green' concepts with new energy challenge

Robert Radulescu is studying construction management in college. These days, that means getting a handle on the whole "green" thing.

The Bellevue High graduate, now a junior at the University of Washington, has taken those concepts out of the abstract with his involvement in the first-ever National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Green Energy Challenge.

Teams that participate in the competition audit local K-12 schools to find out if their electrical systems can operate more efficiently or use less power.

Each group creates a customized proposal for retrofits, puts together plans for installing a photovoltaic solar-panel or wind-energy system for the facility, and helps implement any of the accepted changes.

Radulescu is one of six students selected for the UW Green Challenge team, which audited the Seattle School District's Wedgwood Elementary building. The group found around $458,000 in potential retrofits.

That's a lot of money upfront for a district with some highly publicized financial troubles, but the UW proposal identifies $190,000 in possible grants and rebates from the government. The rest would be made up with energy savings within nine years, according to the team's calculations.

"It makes financial sense to implement these solutions," Radulescu said. "The financial sense is there, and the right thing to do is there."

The UW Green Challenge team met with seasoned professionals to make sure their proposals were up to par.

John Eastin was among the people who reviewed the Wedgwood plans. He's the vice president of Holmes Electric, and also served as project executive for the $11.5 billion CityCenter project in Las Vegas.

"There was nothing I've been exposed to that they didn't have insight into," Eastin said. "They were very informed."

Radulescu said his team spent countless hours researching, meeting with professionals, and putting together its 150-page proposal.

"There were a lot of times when we spent all day at school, but it was worth it," he said. "It gave us so much insight and experience. You can't put a price tag on that."

The top three Green Challenge teams will present their proposals Sept. 12-15 at the Washington Trade and Convention Center, where they compete for $4,500 in prize money.

Joshua Adam Hicks can be reached at 425.453.4290.

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