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Portland State University students and faculty this week competed in the Cleantech Challenge – part of the annual Oregon BEST FEST convention – to gain funding for environmentally conscious inventions, including green building products.

Teams pitching building insulation made from waxed cardboard produce boxes, automated sunshades and a shower that reduces water consumption were among seven finalists competing for the $10,000 top prize.

The winning team – Andrew Thorsbik, a PSU graduate student in engineering, and Jonathan Thorsbik, a Central Washington University alum – will use prize money donated by Wells Fargo to develop a car battery that eliminates the environmental and health risks associated with conventional designs. The $2,500 second place prize went to Alex Bigazzi, who is seeking a doctorate in engineering from PSU. He is developing a mobile application that records levels of air pollution and analyzes those readings.

Winners were announced Monday following presentations to the competition judges during the Oregon BEST FEST clean technology conference at the Oregon Convention Center. The two-day convention also brought together dozens of speakers focused on research and development of clean technologies, Oregon BEST spokesman Gregg Kleiner said.

Participants in the Cleantech Challenge included PSU business, engineering and architecture students and faculty members.