Ready, Set, Solve

Ready, Set Solve Ready, Set, Solve (RSS) is a fun, applied learning challenge focused on getting post-secondary students to help solve small, but real, energy efficiency and climate-related challenges that exist in the Capital Region.

Municipalities, not-for-profit organizations and institutions in the Capital Region face unique challenges in working towards their climate action goals. Undergraduate students have a fresh perspective, and the relevant skills and knowledge but often lack the opportunity to gain practical experience, build their networks in the community, and direct their learning to the topics that they are most passionate about. Simply put, the goal of RSS is to bring these two groups together in the pursuit of real climate change and energy efficiency solutions, it’s a win, win, win situation.

Ready, Set, Solve 2011

The Ready, Set, Solve program was piloted in the capital region during the fall 2011 academic semester. For two months, eight student teams from Camosun College, the University of Victoria and Royal Roads University solved unique challenges put forth by their host organizations. In early December, each team submitted their action based solutions to their host organizations as well as to an independent judging committee. An awards ceremony was held on December 8, 2011, and each team was celebrated.

Project Descriptions

Over two months, student teams from all fields of study at Camosun College, Royal Roads University and the University of Victoria produced the following results. A slideshow of all the results can be found here:

Ready, Set, Solve Presentation (PDF )

Team: (First Place) Marnie, Steve and Giovanna of Royal Roads University

Host Organization: Town of Sidney

Challenge: Create an Excel based greenhouse gas inventory tool that we can use to calculate our corporate emissions.

Result: This team spent a number of hours learning about their challenge, researching best practices and thoroughly understanding their sponsor needs to produce a result that will be very useful to their sponsor organization into the future. These students showed professionalism and creativity developing an excel based greenhouse gas inventory tool, an associated guidebook and presenting how it works, for the Town of Sidney.

Team: (Second Place) Tye and Nick of the University of Victoria

Host Organization: Capital Regional District, Planning & Protective Services

Challenge: What are the transportation hubs in the region? Help prepare a map that has all the existing alternative transportation services and facilities.

Result: These two students produced a thorough analysis of multi-modal transportation hubs in the capital region. They used provided data, sourced their own data, and created their own methodology to undertake their analysis. Their professionalism was impressive, and the GIS map outputs will be used by land use and transportation planners.

Team: (Third Place) Sara, Corey, Ben and Julian of Camosun College

Host Organization: The Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre

Challenge: Undertake a triple bottom line cost analysis between backyard composting versus a household kitchen scrap pick-up service in the CRD.

Result: These four students provided case studies, and considered economic, social and environmental impacts in their analysis. They did an excellent job presenting their results while and offering definitive conclusions to the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre.

Team: Kimberly, Kelsey and Kieran of the University of Victoria

Host Organization: City of Victoria

Challenge: How often are the on-street bike racks used in downtown Victoria? Help us determine the utilization rates, and spatially map the locations using GIS.

Result: These students worked hard to develop and test a framework to determine utilization rates of on-street bike racks in downtown Victoria on behalf of the City of Victoria. The team also developed and implemented a survey for cyclists to determine impressions of availability of cycling infrastructure in the downtown core.

Team: Jessie, Vicki and Inka of the University of Victoria

Host Organization: Habitat Acquisition Trust

Challenge: Help us reduce the energy we use and emissions we create in our office and through our operations.

Result: These students helped the Habitat Acquisition Trust identify the best ways to energy use and GHG emissions associated with their operations. These students produced a guidebook with economic analysis, video and poster-map for greening the Trust office.

Team: Ryder, Cameron, Rafi and Leanne of the University of Victoria

Host Organization: University of Victoria

Challenge: Conduct an analysis to identify the buildings on the Gordon Head Campus that would be best suited for solar thermal energy systems.

Result: This group of students helped the University of Victoria determine the suitability for solar thermal and PV technology for various buildings on campus. The team undertook a comprehensive technical analysis that will help the Department of Facilities Management in implementing its campus energy and water master plan.

Team: Michael from Royal Roads and Kelly of the University of Victoria

Host Organization: Transition Victoria

Challenge: Help our organization promote the concept and increase the awareness of "transition enterprises" among the business community in the region.

Result: Mike and Kelly developed an aesthetically pleasing and practical presentation for Transition Victoria which promoted the concept of transition enterprises to the business community. They created a powerpoint presentation and accompanying script that linked to local resources and provided recommended actions. Transition Victoria can easily use their work in during future outreach activities.

Team: Emily, Kira and John of the University of Victoria

Host Organization: City Green Solutions

Challenge: Help us promote (and increase participation) the LiveSmartBC: Small Business Program to the business community in the Capital Region.

Result: This team helped to promote and increase participation in the LiveSmartBC: Small Business Program. This group of students hit the pavement and connected with 99 small businesses, resulting in 11 new assessments in less than 7 weeks. They tracked their engagements and provided City Green with future leads to book more assessments.