RWE NPOWER ENERGY CHALLENGE

1 RWE npower Energy Challenge 2010 RWE npower Energy Challenge 2010 2

CONTENTS

02 The competiton

03 Selecting the winning teams

05 How to enter

06 Selection

07 Terms and conditions

09 Dates for your diary

THE COMPETITION

The energy crisis and the rising costs of electricity are fequently

in the headlines, but what is the solution? How can we balance

energy needs with responsible climate management whilst

maintaining affordable prices? That is where you come in.

At RWE npower, we hold an annual inter-university competition

to find the brightest minds in engineering, science and business

in their penultimate or final year of undergraduate study in the

UK, Netherlands or Germany.

In teams of four (including the

Team Captain) and with the help

of a supporting lecturer, we want

you to develop a solution to the

RWE npower Energy Challenge

question. If that wasn’t enough,

we want you to fit all your pearls

of wisdom into a timed presentation.

You may bring with you and use

whichever presentation aids and

media you think will help you

make your case.

How the competition works

1 Form a team of four

2 Pre-register your team

(see below)

3 Submit a 500 word summary

of your ideas

4 If selected, you will be invited

to a regional heat where you

will have six minutes to present

your ideas to a panel of judges

5 Eight teams will then be

selected to attend the

international final in London

6 At the final you will have two

more minutes to put your idea

in an international context

7 Win great prizes and have the

opportunity to network with

RWE npower’s top management.

Each team may only submit one

entry. All team members must be

from the same university. Team

members can all be from different

departments within the university,

although one member must be

studying an engineering, science

or business related degree. Your

supporting lecturer must be from

one team member’s department.

It will be up to you and your team

members to provide all the thinking

and deliver your presentation – the

lecturer is only there for guidance

and support.

Why take part?

The competition is an invaluable

networking opportunity for

participants to meet RWE

employees from across the UK,

Germany and the Netherlands.

It also adds a practical dimension

to participants’ studies and the

all-important commercial awareness

that so many employers seek.

This is a dynamic time to be

involved in the energy industry

and demands the brightest

students our universities can offer.

The Question What does your energy cost?

How can an energy company

respond to the complex challenges

of climate change targets, maintain

a secure supply for its customers

and more importantly ensure that

energy bills are affordable?

Teams should consider the

following in their solutions:

– affordability

– public perception of

your solution

– security of supply

– sustainability

– customer loyalty & retention.

the regional heats.

3 RWE npower Energy Challenge 2010

SELECTING THE WINNING TEAMS

Regional Heats To

make it as easy as

possible to enter

there will be four

regional heats:

Heat 1

Essen, Germany

28 January 2011

Heat 2

Netherlands

Mid February

Heat 3

Didcot Power Station

Oxfordshire, UK

7 February 2011

Heat 4

TSG Ferrybridge

nr. Leeds, UK

10 February 2011

The allocation of teams

proceeding to the heats to

either UK location will be at the

discretion of RWE npower.

Judged on each 500 word

application, teams will be selected

to be invited to participate in the

regional heats. Here you will make

a six minute presentation to

judges based on your application

form. A maximum of eight teams

will be invited to attend each of

Your six minute presentation will

be judged by a panel of technical

and commercial experts from

RWE. The panel will consider the

originality and creativity of your

solution (including both technical

and commercial viability) and your

ability to apply academic theory

to a practical solution. Your

presentation and time keeping

skills will also be considered.

Following your presentation there

will be five minutes for questions

from the panel of judges.

The Final

Up to three teams

from each heat will be

chosen to go through

to the final. The teams, their sponsoring

lecturers and a limited number

of guests will attend the RWE

npower Energy Challenge final

on 15 March 2011 in London.

Although the judging criteria

remain the same, teams will be

presenting their solutions to

members of the RWE npower

Executive Board. Teams will be

required to extend their

presentations to eight minutes

and to consider how European

pressures may influence their

proposal.

Prizes

Each winning team member will be

awarded £1,250 and the team will

win an additional £5,000 for the

academic department of the

supporting lecturer. There will be

runner up prizes for the second

and third placed teams as follows:

– 2nd: £350 per team member

– 3rd: £150 per team member.

RWE npower

Brighter Futures

The RWE npower Energy Challenge

is part of the RWE npower Brighter

Futures Programme which brings

RWE npower’s education

programmes under one umbrella

– from primary schools through

to universities.

Our programme focuses on:

– environmental education: energy

generation, energy efficiency,

climate change and sustainability

– our commitment to increase the

pool of young talent in Science,

Technology, Engineering and

Maths

– meeting the recruitment

challenges we face in the

energy industry.

To find out more please visit:

www.npower.com/brighterfutures

5 RWE npower Energy Challenge 2010 RWE npower Energy Challenge 2010 6

HOW TO ENTER ENtER

SELECTION

energychallenge the team captain confirming that Judging Stage 1 – Judging Stage 2 – Judging Stage 3 –

Germany all team members have agreed 500 word application Regional Heats The International Final: Pre-register your team Sunday 2 January 2011 to the terms and conditions. Each Once stage 1 (online application) Each team will present their Each team will present their We would advise that teams team member will be required to of the competition closes, solution in six minutes to the solution in 8 minutes to members entering the German heat UK confirm their compliance with the valid entries will be sorted and panel of judges. You will have of the RWE npower Executive pre-register by 26 December 2010, 5pm Friday 21 January 2011 competition terms and conditions judged. A maximum of 30 teams access to a computer with a screen Board. You will have access to a for the Dutch and UK heats in writing upon request from will be invited to attend one of to display PowerPoint and other computer with a screen to display pre-register by 17 December 2010. Netherlands RWE npower. the four heats. similar audio-visual material. PowerPoint and other similar

5pm Friday 21 January 2011 Please note that up to three teams audio-visual material. Filming of To pre-register please send the Teams should base their 500 from each heat will be selected at the event and photography will following to energychallenge@ You will need to balance this word written submission on the this stage of the competition to take place. There will also be an rwenpower.com competition with your university criteria noted under the section progress to the international final audience in attendance. – team name course commitments. ‘Regional Heats’. in London. – university Teams selected at the heats will Teams are expected to make their – team captain’s name and be asked to attend the final on The judges will be looking Teams are expected to make their own travel arrangements, using

contact details 15 March 2011. for solutions that deal with: own travel arrangements, using the cheapest method and leaving – names of team members – affordability the cheapest methods and leaving the smallest carbon footprint. – name and department of

university lecturer. – public perception of

your solution

the smallest carbon footprint.

Travel expenses will be reimbursed

Travel expenses will be reimbursed

on production of documentary

Please apply via the application

form on the website:

www.brightergraduates.com/

Prepare your entry

Deadlines for the online

application form are:

Your entry must include the names

of each team member and an

agreement via the website from

Our judges will select the teams for

the regional heats.

– security of supply

– sustainability

– customer loyalty

and retention.

The 30 teams will be chosen at

the discretion of the judging

panel, whose decision is final.

No correspondence will be

entered into.

The teams progressing through

to the heats will be announced on

the following dates:

Germany / 11 January 2011

Netherlands / 25 January 2011

UK / 25 January 2011

on production of documentary

evidence of actual spends up to a

maximum of £250 per team.

The teams will be chosen at the

discretion of the judging panel,

whose decision is final.

No correspondence will be entered

into in relation to the decision

of the judges.

evidence of actual spend up to a

maximum of £250 per team.

The winning teams will be chosen

at the discretion of the judging

panel, whose decision is final.

No correspondence will be entered

into in relation to the decision of

the judges.

Prize

The prizes will be presented by

cheque at The Final.

7 RWE npower Energy Challenge 2010 RWE npower Energy Challenge 2010 8

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

team must include at least one Challenge are free to do so

member who is studying an again this year but must make

engineering, science or business significant changes to any

not be returned. Title to and all

rights including copyright in the

AG in Germany, RWE Essent in the

Netherlands or RWE Npower plc in

the competition with or without

notice. RWE npower excludes illness, injury or death sustained during

the competition.

entries will pass to RWE npower the UK or any of their associated any liability if any part of the related degree. previous entries as well as meet on receipt by RWE npower of the companies or any other company competition is cancelled for

for death or personal injury arising from the terms and conditions. entry. RWE npower may disclose, associated with the competition. any reason. RWE npower will use its own negligence. The minimum age requirement publish, use, reproduce or copy Entries must not be in breach of the personal details of entrants for for each team member is 18 on The contents of each application entries in any medium to promote any third party right and must be the purposes of this competition 1 September 2010. All team form summary submitted as an the competition and/or promote the entering team’s own and and details will not be passed on members must be from the same entry and each presentation based or develop other climate change/ original undisputed work. Entrants to any third parties. university. on such entry must be original, sustainability initiatives. Please must acquire the written consent

unpublished and the work of the ensure you keep a copy of your of any relevant rights owner in RWE npower’s decisions at any Multiple teams from one submitting team only. Teams will entry for yourself for your respect of their entries. point in the competition are final university may submit an be required (following the closing personal reference. and no correspondence will be entry, but: date applicable to the entering RWE npower will not be obliged entered into in relation to the – a student may not be involved in team and prior to progressing to contact any team that has not competition.

more than one team; and further in the competition) to progressed in the competition. – it is possible that only one team submit a declaration form signed RWE npower reserves the right to

will be selected from each by all the relevant students to exclude a team in the event that university and RWE npower confirm their understanding of any team or its team members reserves the right to exercise its and compliance with the terms bring the competition or any discretion in this way. and conditions. element of it or RWE npower or

any other party connected with

the competition into disrepute.

Please read the terms and entry requirements carefully

as RWE npower will only consider submissions and presentations

which conform to these rules.

By entering the competition, all

teams and team members agree

to accept and be bound by these

terms and conditions.

The competition is open to all

undergraduate penultimate and

final year students in the academic

year starting September 2010,

studying at a university in the UK,

Germany or the Netherlands.

Students can participate regardless

of their degree discipline, but each

By entering the competition the

teams confirm that they will be

available to attend, if selected,

the regional and final heats of the

competition. RWE npower retains

the right to disqualify a team if

any of its members is unable to

attend either the heat they have

been invited to or the final.

Please note that teams or

individuals who have previously

entered the RWE npower Energy

Responsibility cannot be accepted

for lost, delayed or damaged

entries. Proof of submission is not

proof of receipt. Teams that do

not get their entries in by the

relevant closing date will be

excluded from the competition.

Incomplete, illegible or altered

entries and any not in accordance

with the entry instructions or

terms and conditions are invalid

and such entry will be excluded

from the competition. Entries will

The regional heats and the final

will be filmed and photographed.

By entering the competition, you

consent to RWE Npower plc’s

right to use some of the images

for its websites plus other related

publicity. E.g.www.

brightergraduates.com/

energychallenge.

Team members may not include

any person who has worked for or

is related to an employee of RWE

The winning team will be required

to co-operate fully with RWE

Npower plc in connection with

any promotion or publicity of the

competition or future competitions.

Events may occur that render

the occurrence of any part of the

competition impossible due to

reasons beyond the control of

RWE Npower plc and RWE Npower

plc may, at its absolute discretion

vary, amend, suspend or withdraw

No cash alternatives to a) participation

in any part of this competition; or

b) any of its prizes are available.

RWE npower shall not be liable for injury,

death, loss or damage suffered by a

participant whether or not caused by any

act or omission of RWE npower or any of

its servants, agents, contractors or by

any other entrant or participant.

RWE npower shall not be liable for any

uninsured losses, baggage or other

property; nor for any indirect or

consequential losses, damages or

expenses; nor for loss of time,

enjoyment or inconvenience; nor for any

RWE npower does not exclude liability

9 RWE npower Energy Challenge 2010

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Launch

UK

01.11.10

Germany

01.11.10

Netherlands

01.11.10

Pre-register

17.12.10

26.12.10

17.12.10

Application

21.01.11

02.01.11

21.01.11

Deadline

Notification

25.01.11

11.01.11

25.01.11

Heats

Didcot

07.02.11

28.01.11

Mid February

Ferrybridge

10.02.11

International

Final (London)

15.03.11

15.03.11

15.03.11

The Promoter is RWE Npower plc (Company

registration number 3892782). Registered

office Windmill Hill Business Park, Whitehill

Way, Swindon SN5 6PB