Twelve collegiate teams are gearing up to participate in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) second Collegiate Wind Competition that 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 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 product, and test their turbine against a set of rigorous performance criteria. Students from a variety of engineering, business, communications, and social science programs are challenged to utilize individual skills to develop state-of-the-art wind energy solutions as a team. By combining academic coursework with tangible, hands-on learning, the Collegiate Wind Competition provides valuable real-world experience as students prepare to enter the workforce.

The 12 colleges and universities that will participate in the 2016 competition are:

1. Boise State University (Idaho)
2. The California Maritime Academy
3. California State University, Chico
4. Kansas State University
5. Northern Arizona University
6. Pennsylvania State University
7. Universidad del Turabo (Puerto Rico)
8. University of Alaska Fairbanks
9. University of Maryland
10. University of Massachusetts Amherst
11. University of Massachusetts Lowell
12. 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.

DOE held the inaugural Collegiate Wind Competition in 2014 at AWEA WINDPOWER in Las Vegas, Nevada, where more than 150 students from 10 institutions helped lay the groundwork for what has become the country’s preeminent undergraduate-level wind energy competition.