Collegiate Wind Competition Winners Announced (WINDPOWER 2014)

The turbines have been tested, the judges have weighed in on their engineering, and now, all that remains is what some would consider the hardest part of the process: selling your product.

The 10 teams in the Department of Energy’s Collegiate Wind Competition spent this morning showcasing their business plans, making the economic case for their products, simulating a real-life venture.

But the teams’ proposals weren’t intended to stay behind closed doors, subject to only the whims of a few judges. This afternoon, each team is stepping onto the main stage to make a case for their product to WINDPOWER attendees.

The judging panel included experts from across the industry, bringing relevant, sometimes hard-hitting questions about the viability of the teams’ products:

• Troy Patton, CEO of Northern Power Systems
• Haley Estes Roberto, President of Harvest the Wind Network
• Mike Derby, Chief Technology Officer for DOE’s wind program
• Keith Longtin, General Manager, GE Wind Products

The “shark tank” was in full effect as the judges dug into every aspect of each program’s engineering, business plan, and marketing strategy. The conversations ranged from topics on costs and manufacturing challenges, to more nuanced questions on keeping out sand and grit from rooftop turbines in Sub-Saharan Africa.

One pitch I found particularly impressive was “Turby,” built by the Boise State University team. Their design is special because it focuses on a market that stands to benefit greatly from their product: middle and high school students. As evidenced by the 470 or so booths on the showroom floor below, wind power is big business, and a turbine kit represents a fantastic way to learn how these complex machines work, setting students up for a future career in this evolving industry.

The public pitches mark the last step in a long process that will terminate tonight at 5:30 with the awards ceremony. After months of hard work and preparation, a winner must be chosen.

And so the judges have prepared their remarks and rendered their verdict, the public has spoken, too, using SMS to vote electronically for their favorite design, and this three-day saga will now draw to a close with the moment these 10 teams have been waiting for since arriving — the awards ceremony.