2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Project-Based Learning in Action: Leveraging the Solar District Cup to Foster Systems Thinking and Renewable Energy Design Skills in a Capstone Course

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar District Cup (SDC) provides an excellent experiential learning framework for multidisciplinary student teams to design solar energy systems for real-world locations. At the University of [Left Blank for Blind Review], the SDC was integrated into a senior-level Sustainability Capstone course as an engaging student project focused on renewable energy design, project development, and systems thinking. This paper examines the educational outcomes and lessons learned from combining a student capstone project with a national competition.
Students assumed the role of solar developers, creating a 26 MW photovoltaic proposal for the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Through the competition, students developed comprehensive deliverables including conceptual system design, distribution system impact analysis, financial modeling, and development planning all of which closely align with real world professional engineering practices. The submitted project proposal incorporated agrivoltaics, rooftop solar, and parking canopies which required technical, environmental, and economic trade-off analyses.
Key educational outcomes included enhanced understanding of solar engineering design principles, the use of industry-standard modeling tools such as Helioscope, OpenDSS, and NREL’s Solar Advisory Model, and experience in communicating technical results to a diverse set of judges and stakeholders. Students also gained insight into permitting, zoning, and energy equity considerations. Faculty mentorship and industry collaboration further enhanced the learning process, fostering student confidence and workforce readiness in the clean energy sector.
Integrating the Solar District Cup within a sustainability curriculum provides a highly effective model for project-based engineering education that integrates technical design, interdisciplinary collaboration, and real-world application. These educational elements are fundamental to preparing the next generation of sustainable solar engineers to lead the global clean energy transition.

Authors

Dr. Tony Lee Kerzmann http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9445-3814 University of Pittsburgh [biography]

Dr. Kerzmann is actively involved in advancing engineering education, sustainability, and clean energy initiatives. He serves as the Best Paper Awards Chair for the ASEE North Central Section and contributes to the ASEE Energy Conversion and Conservation Division. At the University of Pittsburgh, he is a member of multiple committees supporting undergraduate education, sustainability, and advising. Beyond campus, he collaborates with municipalities, nonprofits, and industry partners on renewable energy and community sustainability projects. Dr. Kerzmann also leads outreach efforts through the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation and the Regina Coeli Creation Care Team, promoting environmental stewardship and education.
Dr. David V.P. Sanchez http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7398-3130 University of Pittsburgh [biography]

David V.P. Sanchez is an Associate Professor in the Swanson School of Engineering’s Civil & Environmental Engineering department and the Associate Director for the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation at the University of Pittsburgh. He serves as the Program Director for the Master’s in Sustainable Engineering, the Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainability, the John C. Mascaro Faculty Fellows, and the Sustainability Global Engagement grant. He is a faculty lead in the Frederick Honors College Scholar Community.

His research lab, Sustainable Design Labs (https://www.sustainabledesignlabs.com/), focuses on fusing analytical chemistry, sustainability design principles and data analytics to address Water and Sustainability grand challenges. Current thrusts focus on Smarter Riversheds, Microbial Fuel cells and advanced oxidation and separation processes.

Focused on co-creating long term partnerships that synergize community vision with Pitt’s core competencies of research and education, Sanchez has built up Pitt Hydroponics in Homewood, founded Constellation Energy Inventor labs for K-12 students, and re-created the Mascaro Center’s Teach the Teacher sustainability program for science educators in the region.

As a teacher he designed and created the Sustainability capstone course which has annually partnered with community stakeholders to address sustainability challenges at all scales. Past projects have included evaluating composting stations in Wilkinsburg, studying infrastructure resilience in Homewood, enabling community solar in PA, improving energy efficiency in McCandless Township, and improving water quality in our rivers. He teaches core Sustainability courses, labs in the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, electives in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship program, the First-Year Engineering program, and International Study Abroad programs.
John Robert Ufer University of Pittsburgh
Dalia Chemaitilly University of Pittsburgh

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026