UGM students have secured first place in the National Essay Competition by INOVASI 2025. The winning team consisted of Vina Ayu Lestari, a 2023 student of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA UGM), and Nafi’atush Sholikhah, a 2023 student of the Faculty of Animal Science (Animal Science UGM), under the guidance of Nur Achmad Sulistyo Putro.
The competition was organized by the Student Activity Unit of Reasoning, Writing, and Entrepreneurship at the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Trunojoyo Madura, on Aug. 3, 2025. Dozens of teams from universities across Indonesia took part in the event.
Representing UGM as Team Mafaza, Lestari explained that they competed under the sub-theme of Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure with their essay titled SUN (Solar Utility Navigator): Integration of G-Code-Based Solar Tracker for Renewable Energy Optimization in 3T Regions to Realize Affordable Clean Energy. The competition’s overarching theme was The Strategic Role of Young Generations as Agents of Change in Achieving the SDGs 2030 through Innovation and Technology.
Lestari noted that their essay was inspired by Indonesia’s ongoing energy crisis, which has not been matched by the development of renewable energy sources. Despite Indonesia’s abundance of solar energy potential, it has not yet been fully utilized.
“Solar panels are designed to capture energy from the sun. However, most panels are fixed at a single elevation angle, preventing them from absorbing solar energy optimally. Our innovation, SUN, introduces a solar tracker that optimizes solar energy absorption,” she explained at UGM Campus on Monday (Sep. 8).
According to Lestari, the SUN innovation is crucial to addressing Indonesia’s energy crisis by maximizing solar power as a renewable alternative, particularly in underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost regions (3T regions).
She added that such innovations can contribute to achieving affordable and clean energy while supporting sustainable national development.
Sholikhah expressed hope that this achievement would benefit the advancement of technology in Indonesia and inspire younger generations to create innovative and creative ideas that support sustainable development goals (SDGs) for the community.
With this victory, Team Mafaza aspires to further develop and implement the SUN innovation to help communities in 3T regions and contribute to overcoming Indonesia’s energy challenges.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya