UCLA Wind Project
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California
Faculty Advisor
Sam Taira
Student Leads
Zachary Figueroa
Amos Ancell
Eva Fiedler
What is your team name, institution name, city, and state?
We are the UCLA Wind Project, and we’re from the University of California, Los Angeles, in Los Angeles, California.
Who are your faculty advisor and student lead(s)?
Our faculty advisor is Sam Taira, and our student leads are Zachary Figueroa, Amos Ancell, and Eva Fiedler.
Why is your team participating in the Collegiate Wind Competition (CWC)?
Participating in this competition will help us develop and practice using our engineering skills, build a community at our university, and promote wind energy. We aim to create a team of capable engineers ready to tackle the energy issues of our future!
UCLA Wind Project includes (from left to right) in the back row: Zachary Figueroa, Aki Takahashi, Jared Norton, Eva Fiedler, and Amos Ancell; and in the front row: Sam Berman, Lee Moyer, Kirsten Wannenwetsch, and Julia Chow.
What is your vision for a renewable energy future?
Our vision for a renewable energy future has two main facets. The first requires the immediate deployment and continued development of renewable energy infrastructure, including energy storage installations. The second facet is to utilize carbon capture and sequestration technologies to mitigate damage and promote a healthier Earth.
Describe your project, objectives, and game plan.
Our multidisciplinary project is hosted under UCLA’s School of Engineering and Renewable Energy Association. We focus on promoting the use and awareness of renewable energy, as well as training our team with technical and soft skills.
What do you do for team building/to boost team morale?
We start each of our weekly meetings boosting team morale by asking a unique ice-breaker question that invites each of our members to help kick off the meeting in a fun way. We also plan various events, such as a club hike to a local wind farm in southern California, a communal workday to focus on deliverables, or a social outing to get a sweet treat after a team meeting.
This content was submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy by the team. Find more information on CWC 2023.