MaxVentus
James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Faculty Advisor
Keith Holland
Student Leads
Nick Gartner
Isabella Lindblad
Sidney Roth
Follow This Team
Instagram: @maxventus.jmu |
@jamesmadisonuniversity
What is your team name, institution name, city, and state?
Our team’s name is MaxVentus. We are located at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Who are your faculty advisors and student lead(s)?
Our faculty advisors are Jonathan Miles and Keith Holland, and our student leads are Nick Gartner, Isabella Lindblad, and Sidney Roth.
Why is your team participating in the Collegiate Wind Competition (CWC)?
Our team members want to apply their skills to a renewable energy project while gaining experience with wind energy specifically. This will help members explore career opportunities in the renewable energy industry.
MaxVentus includes (from left to right) in the top row: Josh Savage, Alex Garcia, Austin Zicafoose, Mary Wari, Jack Williams, Peter Fyffe, Francheska Sacoto, and Everett McConville; and in the second row: Yazeed Salameh, Melanie Leon, Joseph Scully, Anatalya Zapanta, Lorelai Lamoureux, Alexander Ziemke, Brandon Landes, Ryan Frost, Colin Hill, Third row: Nicholas Gartner, Isabella Lindblad, Sidney Roth, and Keith Holland.
What is your vision for a renewable energy future?
We envision a future where the potential for renewable energy resources, like offshore wind, are recognized and used in place of fossil fuels and nonrenewable resources.
Describe your project, objectives, and game plan.
Our project’s objectives are to design a prototype offshore wind turbine, develop a plan for a financially viable utility-scale offshore wind farm, and conduct community outreach to educate students and local community members about wind energy. This will allow us to build on our team’s success at last year’s competition, where we placed third overall, and work toward our vision for a renewable energy future in the United States.
What is your team’s strategy for success in the competition?
We want to build on last year’s success by focusing on our weak spots. This includes trying to improve our turbine design and overall team organization. We plan to take insights from our student-led interviews with members of the industry to aid our work. Additionally, we want to increase the scope of our outreach events this year and consistently post high-quality social media updates.
This content was submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy by the team. Find more information on CWC 2023.