Sustainability Initiatives

Penn State students win wind power competition

Teams from 12 universities took part in the U.S. Department of Energy Collegiate Wind Competition.
June 17, 2016

Pennsylvania State University has won the top prize in the U.S. Department of Energy Collegiate Wind Competition.

The Penn State students were among 12 teams of college students from the United States and Puerto Rico who competed last month in the event in New Orleans. The students’ assignment was to build a small-scale wind turbine that can provide off-grid power.

The University of Massachusetts Lowell came in second place, and Boise State University in Idaho placed third.

Here are the winners in each contest category:

• Turbine Testing: The Pennsylvania State University
• Technical Design: The University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Deployment Strategy: California State University, Chico
• Business Plan: The Pennsylvania State University
• People’s Choice: Universidad del Turabo (Puerto Rico)
• Bonus Challenge: Universidad del Turabo

The Department of Energy says the Collegiate Wind Competition provides undergraduates with real-world skills as it challenges them to develop and deliver a business plan, establish a deployment strategy, and build and test a wind turbine.

About the Author

Mike Kennedy

Senior Editor

Mike Kennedy, senior editor, has written for AS&U on a wide range of educational issues since 1999.

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