If you’re a fan of renewable energy, you might just be in luck.

The Penn State Wind Energy Club gives students an opportunity to learn about the wind energy industry, develop and design wind turbines, and gain real experience in the field.

The club was founded in 2014 by Dr. Susan Stewart, a professor at Penn State, and a group of students who wanted to participate in the Department of Energy. Collegiate Wind Competition. Stewart also leads the graduate certificate in Penn State’s Wind Energy program.

Each year, the team creates a wind turbine for the competition. The club splits into teams that are co-dependent on each other to successfully create the turbine.

Penn State’s team has blown its competitors out of the water, as it has placed first in the competition in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2019, and finished second in 2018 and fourth in 2020. While Penn State’s team makes it look like a breeze, there are many moving parts that lead to its success.

“The competition continues to grow more competitors every year because Wind Energy has been, in the United States, historically under-funded, so recently there is more momentum for more funding available,” club president Joshua Forrest said. “Part of our competition is that we receive funding for it, and the more teams that compete, the more money will continue to grow.”

Club members meet once a week over Zoom to collaborate and plan. They individually work during the week to contribute to specific parts of the turbine. Teams are broken into project development, circuit control, and aerodynamics, among others.

“In my involvement, I’ve got to try my hand in basically everything now, at least in project development,” club member Avery Taylor said. “It makes me feel good that there is something that I’m doing that is helping the club. It helps me too, in terms of self-esteem, just how I feel about myself and being active in the club because the members are so great. Joshua [Forrest] is good about building me up when I need it. I would most definitely say it’s been a rewarding experience.” 

In addition to the Collegiate Wind Competition, the club is involved in the test turbine project, the technical report, and community outreach.

Club members work with the Kid Wind competition, Girls in STEM, K-12 students, and high schoolers in State College to teach students about sustainable energy and careers in sustainable energy.

“A lot of the technical sides of the competition expand upon what we learn on in class,” Forrest said. “Since there are three main aspects that go into that — mechanical sides, electrics, and circuits, — it’s hard for any one person to be an expert in all three. It takes a lot of codependence in the team and working together so everyone has a good enough understanding of what’s going on.” 

The hands-on experience sure looks good on paper, but it’s also a rewarding learning process for many members. This year, 13 teams are competing in the Collegiate Wind Competition.

“For me, it’s a learning experience, I can’t speak for the other members, it’s something to put on our resume, and when employers ask ‘what’s that?’ you can talk about how the Collegiate Wind Competition is an experience and your involvement in the competition,” Taylor said. “It also helps members with team building and working with diverse groups, and gaining that experience is invaluable.”