Energy Department Announces 2016 Collegiate Wind Competition Participants

The Energy Department today announced the twelve collegiate teams that have been selected to participate in the Department's second Collegiate Wind Competition. The Collegiate Wind Competition challenges teams of undergraduate students to design and build a model wind turbine based on market research and siting considerations, develop a business plan to market their products, and test their turbines against a set of rigorous performance criteria. Bringing together the next generation of wind energy pioneers with today's industry leaders, the 2016 Collegiate Wind Competition will take place at the annual American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) WINDPOWER Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans, Louisiana, from May 23 to 26, 2016.

The Collegiate Wind Competition combines the expertise of students from a variety of engineering, business, communications, and social science programs, and challenges them to utilize their individual skills to develop state-of-the-art wind energy solutions as a team. Intertwining academic coursework with tangible, hands-on learning, the Collegiate Wind Competition provides valuable real-world experience as students prepare to enter the workforce. 

Five new schools have been selected along with seven returning teams from the 2014 competition. The twelve colleges and universities that have been selected to participate in the 2016 Collegiate Wind Competition are:

Boise State University (Idaho) The California Maritime Academy California State University, Chico Kansas State University Northern Arizona University The Pennsylvania State University Universidad del Turabo (Puerto Rico) University of Alaska Fairbanks University of Maryland University of Massachusetts Amherst University of Massachusetts Lowell University of Wisconsin Madison

Hailing from across the United States, from Alaska to Puerto Rico, each team brings diverse experiences and unique perspectives to the competition. The Energy Department held the inaugural Collegiate Wind Competition in 2014 at the AWEA WINDPOWER Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas, Nevada, where over 150 students from ten institutions helped lay the groundwork for what has become the country's prominent undergraduate-level wind energy competition.

The Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy accelerates development and deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and market-based solutions that strengthen U.S. energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality. Learn more about the Collegiate Wind Competition by visiting the Competition's official Web page.