A team from Texas Tech University’s National Wind Institute (NWI) has been chosen to participate in the 2018 Collegiate Wind Competition where students will build and market a model wind turbine.
Texas Tech is one of 12 universities chosen for the competition, which will be held during the annual American Wind Energy Association WINDPOWER Conference and Exhibition May 7-10, 2018, in Chicago. The competition and conference are sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and hosted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado.
“Being asked to compete in the Collegiate Wind Competition is an honor,” said Kyle Jay, an instructor in the NWI. “The competition will give the National Wind Institute and Texas Tech University students and a chance to show our design and manufacturing prowess for a multi-disciplinary competition.”
Students from each of the 12 participating universities will design and build a model wind turbine based on market research and site considerations, develop a business plan to market the product, and test the turbines against strict performance criteria determined by a panel of wind industry leaders who will judge each entry.
The Collegiate Wind Competition is designed to combine student expertise with that of engineering, business, communications and social science programs. Its aim is to challenge teams to combine their individual skills to develop state-of-the-art wind energy solutions as a team, combining academic coursework with hands-on learning opportunities to provide valuable real-world experience as students prepare to enter the workforce.
In addition to Texas Tech, the other 11 schools participating in the 2018 Collegiate Wind Competition are: California State University Maritime Academy; California State University-Chico; Iowa State University; James Madison University; Kansas State University; Northern Arizona University; Penn State University; Seattle University; the Universidad del Turabo in Gurabo, Puerto Rico; the University of Wisconsin and Virginia Tech University.
This is the third Collegiate Wind Competition the Energy Department has held, the last one in 2016 won by Penn State. The competition is a key component of the effort to accelerate development and deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies that help strengthen the country’s energy security, environmental quality and economic health. It is directed by the Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
For more information, visit the Collegiate Wind Competition website.
CONTACT:
Kyle Jay, instructor, National Wind Institute, Texas Tech University, (806) 834-5354 or kyle.r.jay@ttu.edu
(News release from Texas Tech University)