The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the winners of the 11th annual Collegiate Wind Competition (CWC). The California State University Maritime Academy team clinched the top spot overall among 12 competing teams in this event, which prepares college students for careers in the wind energy and renewable energy sectors.They showcased exceptional performance in meeting the competition’s various challenges, which included constructing and testing turbine prototypes, proposing hypothetical offshore wind farm site designs, and developing effective community outreach strategies.
The 2024 CWC focused on offshore wind energy, particularly its role in a diverse power system. Students were tasked with devising solutions for integrating offshore wind energy into hybrid systems, exploring options for utilising offshore wind energy, and collaborating with industry and stakeholders to advocate for the benefits of wind energy within the broader power grid.
The culmination of the competition took place at the American Clean Power Association's Cleanpower Conference and Exhibition in Minneapolis, where the 12 finalist teams put their prototype wind turbines to the test and presented their projects to panels of wind energy experts.
The finalist teams represented colleges and universities across the United States, including six minority-serving institutions—three of which were Hispanic-serving institutions and four Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions. Moreover, two schools made their inaugural appearance, participating in the CWC for the first time.
The winning teams are as follows:
- Overall First Place: California State University Maritime Academy
- Overall Second Place: University of Colorado Boulder
- Overall Third Place: Kansas State University
- Connection Creation Contest: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
- Project Development Contest: University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Turbine Prototype Contest: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
- Turbine Testing Contest: California State University Maritime Academy
