ElectrifyGT is at the forefront of Georgia Tech’s push for a cleaner future.  

ElectrifyGT is at the forefront of Georgia Tech’s push for a cleaner future.  

As a student-led consulting organization, ElectrifyGT focuses on decarbonization strategies, aiming to replace fossil fuel or carbon-intensive campus infrastructure with electric alternatives. 

In alignment with Georgia Tech’s ambitious goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, ElectrifyGT receives data from Institute departments and administrators, performing financial and carbon analyses to develop informed proposals.  

“We’re like a consulting group, but our only client is Georgia Tech,” Khim Viravan, second-year electrical engineering major and president of ElectrifyGT, explained. “Our mission is to raise the student body’s awareness of electrification and work toward obtaining 100% campus electrification.”  

To achieve this, ElectrifyGT operates as a project-based organization, enabling members to work as consultants.  

Past projects include securing two Ford Mustang Mach-E SUVs for the Georgia Tech Police Department as part of an ongoing effort to electrify campus fleets. In 2023, they submitted a Holland Plant electrification paper that won the Carbon Reduction Challenge for the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business in the Scheller College of Business. 

This semester, ElectrifyGT has five project teams focusing on fleet electrification analysis, regenerative elevators, building air conditioning efficiency, anaerobic digestion, and supercritical carbon dioxide mask sterilization.  

The organization also engages its members by inviting guest speakers. In October, ElectrifyGT hosted Chad Bednar, Delta's senior global sustainability manager, to discuss the sustainability industry. This semester, they plan to host three speakers. 

When asked about the future of ElectrifyGT, Viravan discussed her hopes to scale their efforts beyond Georgia Tech’s campus.  

“This is our fourth year on campus, so we are a relatively new, smaller organization. I want to see member growth to expand the number of projects we do, but also to consult beyond campus to address the needs of the Atlanta metro area.” 

ElectrifyGT hosts its general body meetings every Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Room 500, Scheller College of Business.  

Check out the organization on Engage and at @electrify_gt on Instagram to learn more.