A national challenge where student teams design, build, and present a complete wind energy project - and Windpack represents NC State.
The Collegiate Wind Competition (CWC), run by the non-profit REpowering Schools, challenges student teams from across the country to design innovative wind energy solutions. It combines engineering, project development, and communication, giving students hands-on experience in renewable energy.
At NC State, Windpack competes in this national event, developing real-world wind energy projects through collaboration across our Mechanical, Electrical, and Project Development teams.
How a competition year runs, from the rules dropping to the final event. Dates are confirmed here as REpowering Schools releases the official timeline.
Organizers publish the season rulebook, contest requirements, and the full deliverable schedule.
All contestsOfficial entry submitted, confirming our place in the competition for the year.
All contestsFirst look at the turbine concept, with early aerodynamic and electrical design decisions locked in.
TurbineFull technical writeup of the turbine: analysis, component selection, manufacturing, and test results.
TurbineThe wind farm proposal: site selection, resource assessment, environmental review, and financial modeling.
Project DevelopmentDocumentation of our outreach: community events, industry engagement, and how we shared the team's work.
Connection CreationSafety and compliance review of the built turbine, signed off before it is cleared to run.
TurbineThe national event: wind tunnel testing, presentations to industry judges, and final scoring across all three contests.
All contests
From presenting to industry judges to running the turbine and defending our project development plan, the competition is where a year of work comes together. It's intense, collaborative, and one of the best ways to break into the wind energy industry as a student.
Official rules and background on the Collegiate Wind Competition.
Whether you want to build the turbine, crunch the wind data, or tell the story - there's a role for you on the team.
