SteelAdvisory
A scenario-testing platform that lets steel buyers co-optimize price and sustainability — built for Array Technologies.
SteelAdvisory was built at the MIT Energy & Climate Hackathon 2025 for Array Technologies, a solar manufacturer with heavy steel exposure. It gives steel buyers a way to scenario-test purchasing decisions that balance cost against carbon, and was recognized by Array’s representatives for best economic modeling.
An ARIMAX model forecasts steel-price movement from economic indicators and historical trends pulled from Federal Reserve data, reaching 8.06% MAPE. A Monte Carlo simulation then stress-tests procurement strategies across price scenarios, with Pareto optimizationsurfacing the trade-off frontier — projecting $200K–$1.7M in annual savings.
Each scenario is also scored on emissions by accounting for the production method, the grid cleanliness of the production region, and transportation to the use site. The result puts price and carbon side by side, so buyers can co-optimize rather than choosing one over the other.