The ZERO Institute, in its drive to support students to become the next generation of leaders in zero-carbon energy, has joined the UK Team in the international ASHRAE Net Zero Design competition, representing the University of Oxford in the initiative.
ASHRAE, the renowned international American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers, dedicated to promoting sustainability, has launched the Net Zero Design competition “to encourage students to become involved in a profession that is crucial to ensuring a sustainable future for our Earth”.
Within the ZERO Institute, participating in the ASHRAE competition complements our work with undergraduate students and Oxford Colleges, led by Prof Jesus Lizana and other members of the ZERO Institute, integrating zero-carbon teaching and real-world case studies in Oxford curricula, which won us the prestigious CIBSE 2025 award in the category Learning and Development.
“The new Oxford student branch for this international competition will serve as a playground to shape, and demonstrate breakthrough ideas that blend design, engineering, and innovation for the future of the building industry.” – Prof Jesus Lizana
Our student branch for the ASHRAE competition is made up of 10 undergraduate and graduate students who will compete in different categories:
Three brilliant DPhil students from the Department of Engineering Science and the School of Geography and the Environment – Cuicheng Zhang, Gayatri Sundar Rajan, and Nethmi Jayaratne Kariyawasam – will participate in the European Net Zero Design competition as part of the UK team along with students from 3 more universities: Loughborough University, Exeter University, and London South Bank University.
This year, their challenge is to design a zero-carbon data centre, where they bring multidisciplinary skills in architecture and engineering. To design an innovative proposal that complies with set standards and performance requirements. This reflects the real-world challenge of keeping up with the growing demand for AI and data in our daily lives, eventually aiming for a zero-carbon footprint. This requires thinking outside the box, tapping into cutting-edge science, and putting forth bold solutions.
In parallel, five excellent undergraduate students from the Department of Engineering Science – Helena McCormick Paice, Jay Shah, Charles Mahon, Joshua Walker, and Yu Chen – will compete in the 2025 International Building EQ competition. They will present their innovative energy assessments and proposed interventions for two student accommodations at Oxford’s Exeter and Lincoln Colleges.
Their enthusiastic mentors – Jesús Lizana, Scott Wheeler, and Amr Suliman from the ZERO Institute – are leading and supporting the initiative, and we welcome additional academic mentors to help grow and promote this effort further. The ZERO Institute will serve as the headquarters for our students, providing dedicated space to foster this innovative working environment.
The next step will be an in-person gathering of the UK Team in April, to gel the team and define the next steps towards submitting a design in June. In this event, ASHRAE representatives and the ASHRAE president will visit the UK to inaugurate new university branches for this global competition.
We can’t wait to see what our brilliant student team will propose!
