The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) joined universities and wind energy experts from across the country to announce the winners of the Collegiate Wind Competition. Over the course of the academic year, 13 undergraduate teams designed, built, and tested model wind turbines, developed project plans, collaborated with industry experts, and engaged with their local communities — preparing them for careers in the growing wind and renewable energy workforce to support President Biden’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Each year, the Collegiate Wind Competition integrates a new challenge into the contest that reflects real-world wind industry needs. Taking the COVID-19 pandemic and the threat of supply chain disruptions into account, the 2021 challenge tasked teams with developing projects for deployment in highly uncertain times, with a significant degree of unknown risks and delays. This year’s competition also featured a new “Connection Creation Contest,” which challenged students to engage with industry professionals, their local communities, and local media outlets to broaden their understanding of the workforce and educate new audiences about the benefits of wind and renewable energy.
The full list of winners is below:
- Overall First Place: Pennsylvania State University
- Overall Second Place: Johns Hopkins University
- Overall Third Place: California Polytechnic State University
- Turbine Prototype Contest: Kansas State University
- Project Development Contest: Pennsylvania State University
- Connection Creation Contest: Virginia Tech University
The 2022 Collegiate Wind Competition is scheduled for May 16–19, 2022, at the American Clean Power Association’s CLEANPOWER 2022 Conference & Exhibition in San Antonio, Texas.
For more details about Collegiate Wind Competition, visit the CWC website.
