Overview

The DTE E-Challenge 5 was launched in August 2021. Students and faculty teamed up to submit a proposal describing their technology to reduce energy waste.  The teams with the most innovative and deployable ideas were chosen as finalists to demonstrate their technology at a DTE customer location.  Applications were evaluated by an impartial panel of industry judges chosen by DTE and The Engineering Society of Detroit.

Finalists were announced in January 2022. Teams from seven universities moved on to the implementation phase of the DTE E-Challenge 5: Energy Conservation Measure for Michigan Universities in partnership with The Engineering Society of Detroit. This year’s challenge sought new technologies to reduce energy waste at commercial and industrial facilities.

Projects from Lake Superior State University, Lawrence Technological University, Michigan Technological University, Oakland University, University of Detroit Mercy, University of Michigan Dearborn and Wayne State University were selected to proceed to the implementation phase of the challenge.  Over $750,000 was awarded to these university teams to help fund the demonstration of their technology at their proposed demonstration sites. A description of each project can be found under the Projects tab. 

Student members of the finalist teams were awarded a total of $109,000 in scholarships for their initial work on the project. Students were eligible for additional scholarships as they continued working on the implementation of their new technologies.  

Final reports are due May 5, 2023. (Reports can be submitted under the Forms tab.)

Since 2012, DTE has partnered with The Engineering Society of Detroit to recognize and support scientific excellence and technological innovations at Michigan universities through the DTE E-Challenge. E-Challenge seeks to tap the best and brightest engineering minds at Michigan universities to come up with new technologies to reduce energy waste at commercial and industrial facilities in DTE’s service territory.