01 →
Idea or problem
Define household energy burden and the barriers residents face.
STILLMAN COLLEGE / IN COLLABORATION WITH 2150
Energy Affordability &
Household Resilience iLAB
Problems to Solutions.
Solutions to Startups.
Startups to Successful Companies.
Students, professors and industry experts work with residents and service providers to find what can lower energy burden for a defined group of households near Stillman. The team produces a neighborhood case study, an intervention shortlist and a prototype that helps residents choose a next step.
IDEA OR PROBLEMSOLUTIONSTARTUPINVESTABLE & IMPACTFUL COMPANY
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY. LOCAL TALENT. LASTING IMPACT.STILLMAN / TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA ↗
RESEARCH &
ENTREPRENEURSHIP ALIGNMENT
ENTREPRENEURSHIP ALIGNMENT
Southern Company
Energy-sector alignment
London School of Economics
Entrepreneurship alignment
01 / The opportunity · Our thesis
Affordable energy is an economic-development issue.
Energy Affordability & Household Resilience is the research focus of the 2150 Energy iLAB with Stillman College. When energy costs strain a household, the effects reach beyond the utility bill.
Funding can help students and faculty turn community insight into practical interventions, validate a service customers need and build evidence for enterprises that strengthen household stability.
02 →
Solution
Validate efficiency improvements, education and support navigation.
03 →
Startup
Test a household-support service with an identified customer and revenue model.
04 ↗
Investable & impactful company
Advance only with demonstrated value, delivery economics and measurable impact.
CURRENT STAGE / RESEARCH & VALIDATION
Case-study work and a proposed solution pathway; customer commitments, pilot outcomes and investment readiness remain to be demonstrated.
02 / Idea or problem · Research challenge
What helps households
move forward?
Which combination of efficiency improvements, customer education and support navigation can reduce energy burden for a defined group of households near Stillman?
RESEARCH & VALIDATION
01
Interview residents and service providers to understand household energy costs.
02
Analyze consented or aggregated energy-cost and housing data.
03
Compare intervention costs and expected savings.
04
Identify why eligible households do not complete assistance or retrofit steps.
03 / Solution · Fall case-study outputs
Research that becomes
something useful.
Four planned outputs. One defined household group. A practical foundation for a small intervention pilot.
Neighborhood energy-burden case study
A grounded picture of household energy burden near Stillman.
Intervention shortlist
Practical improvements, evaluated for cost and expected savings.
Customer journey
The path from identifying a need to completing an intervention.
Next-action prototype
Help residents and providers identify an appropriate next action.
WHAT WE WILL MEASURE ↗
Completion rates · Cost per household served · Verified household savings where a pilot permits
04 / Startup · Commercialization opportunity
From local research
to a household-support service.
An energy-support navigation and retrofit coordination service for community-service organizations, housing providers and utility program administrators.
Test a service contract or per-household delivery fee before software development.
Candidate buyers: community-service organizations, housing providers and utility program administrators. A funded customer need must be identified—not assumed.
05 / Support the Work
Fund the pathway.
Build the evidence.
Grant support enables the people, research and validation needed to move an energy problem toward a practical solution and a viable business opportunity.
Public benefit: a clearer pathway to household stability.
Research benefit: evidence about what residents will actually use.
Student participationFaculty researchIndustry engagementSolution developmentCustomer validationPilot testing
Investable & impactful:
evidence before expansion.
Advance only after a buyer identifies a funded need and a pilot shows completion and delivery economics. Household savings and utility procurement interest must be demonstrated.
An identified customer, a viable revenue model, demonstrated value and measurable impact are the criteria for advancement. Research measures and pilot outcomes remain evidence to collect—not completed results.
Partner With This iLAB
Participating academic, energy-sector and community collaborators can contribute faculty and energy expertise, customer insight, support-navigation knowledge and opportunities for a small intervention pilot.
Southern Company energy-sector alignment and London School of Economics entrepreneurship alignment describe the research context, not confirmed sponsorship or funded partnerships.
STILLMAN COLLEGE / LOCAL TALENT
THE PEOPLE BUILDING THE FUTURE
Global Opportunity.
Local Talent.
Lasting Impact.
Support the students, professors and industry collaborators moving real problems toward practical solutions and impactful companies.