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Harnessing the Wind: Fuqua Students Win International Competition
A team of four Fuqua MBA students win a prestigious international energy competition.
August 07, 2009
A team of four Fuqua MBA students — Katherine Ryzhaya , Elise Richards , Valentina Nielsen , and Katharine Kollins — are the winners of this year's prestigious international energy competition organized by Vestas Wind Systems , the world's largest producer of wind turbines. Formed in conjunction with the International Scientific Congress on Climate Change , the competition was open to all master's level students and attracted participants from all over the world.
The competition, Vestas Win(d) Power Challenge 2009 , requested a detailed, two-section report. The first section analyzed and compared assumptions of various projections of wind power potential. The second dealt with innovative solutions to maximize wind power reliability and reach. The Fuqua team's winning project analyzed findings of reputable publications and studied the feasibility of compressed air energy storage (CAES) and the use of electric vehicles as storage and users of electricity.
In March 2009, the team traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark, to receive the grand prize and attend the International Scientific Congress on Climate Change. The prize package included full financial support for master's projects for all four Daytime MBA candidates. Each member of the team has defined her area of research and is now working closely with Vestas and Fuqua advisors on refining the scope of their respective projects. The projects focus on the areas of climate regulatory issues, project finance, transmission expansion, and international business development.
The winners are utilizing their unique expertise to produce research that can be directly applied to solving wind industry challenges. Ryzhaya is analyzing the various regulatory constructs affecting wind power generation, particularly in light of renewable energy mandates and carbon emissions standards. She will visit Vestas' US corporate headquarters in Portland, OR, in August 2009 to meet with her Vestas team.
Meanwhile, Nielsen is exploring the potential for research and development in Eastern and Central Europe. Her project will provide an understanding of human capital potential for Vestas' R&D efforts. She will soon visit the Vestas R&D Center in the United Kingdom, followed by field research in Russia and other Eastern European economies.
Richards is exploring opportunities in the area of supply chain management by focusing on how firms supplying auto manufacturing can reconfigure their businesses to serve the wind industry. Her research will likely take her to Chicago, although her plans are not finalized.
Kollins graduated in May 2009 and is brainstorming a variety of project ideas with a focus in finance.
News You Can Use: Vestas is focused on workforce development and often hosts renewable energy-related competitions for students worldwide. The Vestas Winnovation 2009 Challenge , open to all graduate-level engineering and business students, will explore innovation and creativity with regard to wind resource marketing and development. Registration for the challenge is open until October 19, 2009.