Arevon, a leading American renewable energy developer, owner, and operator, in conjunction with CSUDH, hosted its second annual Arevon Applied Innovation Renewable Energy (AIRE) Competition on March 12, bringing together students, faculty, Carson city leaders, and industry experts to showcase innovative ideas and solutions in renewable energy.
The competition, which is open to students at both CSUDH and local community colleges, invites participants to identify and pursue innovative renewable energy concepts and technologies that can provide financial and social benefits to their communities. This year, 16 teams pitched their ideas to two panels of judges, presenting their projects in both a showcase and formal pitch format.
Arevon awarded a total of $30,000 in prizes to support students’ higher education and help advance their project concepts toward real-world implementation. Awards included first-, second-, and third-place prizes, as well as recognition in special categories such as Best Prototype, Most Creative, Best Display, Audience Choice, and Biggest Community Impact.
The winners of the 2026 AIRE Competition were:
- 1st Place: CSUDH, Soltanda ($10,000)
- 2nd Place: CSUDH, Solar Safestop ($7,500)
- 3rd Place: CSUDH, Anexa ($2,500)
- Best Prototype: CSUDH, Charge Gym ($2,000)
- Most Creative: CSUDH, The Legacy Forest Project ($2,000)
- Best Display: CSUDH, BioCharge ($2,000)
- Audience Choice: CSUDH, The Thermal Anchor ($2,000)
- Biggest Community Impact: Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, Big Chiquito Recycle ($2,000)
Justin Johnson, Chief Executive Officer at Arevon, praised the ingenuity of this year’s projects and offered words of advice for the contestants moving forward, “Seeing these students’ passion for renewable energy, combined with the knowledge they’ve gained through their education, come to life in these concepts was truly inspiring. Arevon was proud to support this competition again this year and looks forward to continuing to empower the next generation of energy innovators.”
City of Carson Councilmember Arleen Rojas and Mayor Pro Tem Cedric L. Hicks Sr., alongside Johnson, CSUDH’s Director of Sustainability Ellie Perry, and DoubleTree’s Kristina Kovacic, participated in a Q&A with final contestants, asking essential questions related to city safety, community impact, and project implementation.
