Worlds Pages

COMPETITION ELEMENTS

Every wind and solar team competing in the World KidWind Challenge will participate in several competition elements, including either wind turbine or solar home testing, a presentation for a panel of judges, Instant Challenges, and the Knowledge Test.

The judging, Instant Challenge, and Knowledge Test components of Worlds will be scheduled for each team. Wind turbine and solar structure testing will be self directed in between the other Competition Elements during Worlds.

Bonus Points! There are 3 bonus points available that teams can earn BEFORE coming to Worlds. These must be completed by May 2nd in order to receive the extra points.

Complete your Team Profile with a working video (1 point).
Submit ALL Attendee Forms for people joining your team for Worlds (students, coaches, and chaperones) with Liability & Media Release Forms (2 points).

Learn what to expect and important rules for each element by clicking on the buttons below.

Competition Elements with a * next to them will be scheduled at a specific time for each team.

Wind and Solar teams will be scheduled for a judging session to present their structure to a panel of judges, discuss their project, and answer questions.

We will have more than one judging room going at a time, so multiple teams will be scheduled for the same session.

We encourage all teams to prepare a formal presentation and share supplementary materials which may include photos, data tables, notebooks, and/or project iterations. For teams that prepare a digital presentation like a PowerPoint, we will have a small screen similar in size to a desktop monitor, and a variety of dongle options to connect your device in order to present.

Please note: While student teams may videotape their own judging session within the parameters outlined below, we do not recommend it because it may impact the time available for their presentation. Teams only have 15 minutes to present a lot of information and we don't want videotaping to detract from their presentation.

Teams that wish to record themselves during the judging session must follow the below guidelines:

- Teams must set-up the videotaping themselves. No adults, coaches, or helpers will be allowed in the room to help with any part of the videotaping.
- The team will not receive any additional time to set-up their videotaping. This must happen within the 15-minute presentation.
- Teams may only videotape their presentations. They must stop the videotaping at the end of their presentation before the judges begin their questions.

Each wind team will be scheduled for a 15-minute wind turbine judging session with a panel of judges. During this session, the team will have up to 10 minutes to present their turbine design to the judges. The judges will have the remaining time to discuss the project, ask questions, and evaluate the students' knowledge.

Why is the presentation important?

The purpose of the presentation is to provide the judges a better understanding of the process the students went through as they designed and tested their turbine. Teams should be prepared to discuss and defend the choices incorporated into their design. This is also the team’s opportunity to share their documentation of resources and past design iterations, as well as their understanding of wind and energy in general. Judges may identify qualities during this time that can elevate the consideration of a team in the running for a recognition award outside of scoring criteria.

What to bring to your judging session?

Your physical turbine. Plan accordingly to move your turbine from the staging area to the judging rooms. Be sure to save any turbine-busting tunnel time until after your judging session.
Executive Summary, required for Middle School & High School teams, recommended for Elementary School teams. Please note: We will share team numbers on each Team Profile closer to the event. Feel free to write on the number after printing your Executive Summary.
- MS & HS Executive Summary Guidelines
- ES Executive Summary Template
A formal presentation prepared for the judges. This may include a poster board, physical items for the judges to view like design iterations and data logs, or digital slides that detail your process.
- While a digital presentation is not required, we have found that teams have been most successful with a digital presentation.
Any setup and takedown required of your device should be thought out ahead of time to minimize eating into your timeframe with the judges.

What are the judges evaluating during the presentation?

Judges will ask questions to better their understanding based on what is presented using a wide range of criteria as a guideline when evaluating teams on their presentation and turbine design:

Blades
Drivetrain
Generator
Innovation (Inspiration and Creativity)
Independence
Overall Appearance and Material Selection (Aesthetics)
Documentation
Depth, Complexity, and Clarity (Understanding)
Delivery and Preparedness

Please note: Teams using turbine components not constructed by the team (other than blades) including towers, gearboxes, generators, etc. must disclose these components during their Judging Session. This includes parts that have been made by previous students or purchased. Check the Rules page under "Blade Clarifications" for more details.

Each solar team will be scheduled for a 30-minute solar home judging session with a panel of judges. During this session, the team will have up to 10 minutes to present their design to the judges. The judges will have up to 10 minutes to assess the performance of the solar home under a solar array. The judges will have the remaining time to discuss the project, ask questions, and evaluate the students' knowledge.

Why is the presentation important?

The purpose of the presentation is to provide the judges a better understanding of the process the students went through as they designed and tested their solar home. Teams should be prepared to discuss and defend the choices incorporated into their design. This is also the team’s opportunity to share their documentation of resources and past design iterations, as well as their understanding of solar and energy in general. Judges may identify qualities during this time that can elevate the consideration of a team in the running for a recognition award outside of scoring criteria.

What to bring to your judging session?

Your solar home or solar smart home. Plan accordingly to move your device from the staging area to the judging rooms.
Documentation outlined below and on the Rules page
A formal presentation prepared for the judges. This may include a poster board, physical items for the judges to view like design iterations and data logs, or digital slides that detail your process.
Any setup and takedown required of your device should be thought out ahead of time to minimize eating into your timeframe with the judges.

What are the judges evaluating during the presentation?

Judges will ask questions to better their understanding based on what is presented using a wide range of criteria as a guideline when evaluating teams on their presentation and solar home design:

Theme and Purpose
Design and Functionality

Solar Arrays and Circuits
Loads and Switches
Power Storage (if applicable)
Microcontroller (if applicable)

Required Documents

Solar Panel Schematics
Wiring Diagram
Report
Materials List
Programming Code (if applicable)

Inspiration and Creativity (Innovation)
Independence
Aesthetics and Material Selection (Overall Appearance)
Documentation
Depth, Complexity, and Clarity (Understanding)
Delivery and Preparedness

Standard Wind Tunnel Testing Protocol

Each team competing in the Wind Challenge will need to run their wind turbine through multiple distinct tunnels at the World KidWind Challenge, each with their own unique focus. All tunnels draw wind through the tunnel creating a much cleaner and more stable airflow. The size of the wind tunnel testing space is 48” x 48” x 48”. Keep in mind, though, that the walls move in a bit when the tunnel is running so teams should account for at least a 4” buffer of safe space between blades and tunnel sides to account for shrinkage. Hitting/damaging the tunnel’s vinyl shroud, may result in a “0.”

Each team must find time to test their wind turbines in the wind tunnels during Worlds when they are not participating in the other scheduled Competition Elements.

Tunnel Specifics

We will share more wind tunnel details for Worlds in spring of 2026.

There will be a timer at each tunnel. Each team will need to be out of the tunnel in 5 minutes from set up to testing.

SPECIAL NOTE: CHANGING BLADES BETWEEN TUNNELS

The spirit of this event is to construct ONE wind turbine that can handle many different wind conditions.

With this in mind, teams can:

Change the pitch of blades they use in each of the wind tunnels.
Replace broken blades.
Change gearboxes and gearing between tunnels.

We STRONGLY discourage teams from changing the number of blades or using entirely different blade designs between tunnels.

SPECIAL NOTE: CATASTROPHIC FAILURE DEFINITION

An event that causes a turbine in the wind tunnel to produce zero power while collecting test data is defined as a Catastrophic Failure Event. This could be due to either a mechanical or electrical failure.

If this happens, you will be offered the following options:

Receive two minutes to set up your wind turbine again.
Remove the turbine to make repairs. In this case, you will be moved to the back of the line for retesting.

Failures that lead to REDUCED performance are NOT considered catastrophic, and a retest would not be allowed under these circumstances.

Catastrophic failures that are INDUCED by a mechanism will not be treated as a catastrophic failure and NO RETEST will be awarded (meaning tripping something to cause a failure - e.g. knocking a blade or gear off).

During tunnel testing, teams must run their turbines through each tunnel. Each team will receive a set number of tokens at check-in that they must trade-in to test their turbine in the wind tunnel.

Each tunnel will use a different color token and one tunnel run requires one token. You can assume that you will receive 2-3 tokens per tunnel, meaning 2-3 active runs per tunnel. Once the number of teams attending Worlds has been confirmed, we will finalize the number of tokens to be distributed.

Each tunnel will have a visible timer. Each team will have just 4 minutes to get their turbine set-up in the tunnel and complete their test. Tunnel judges can add additional time to the timer at their discretion.

TOKEN: Hand 1 tunnel token to the tunnel judge. Be sure the color of the token corresponds to the color of the tunnel.
TURBINE SET-UP: Place your turbine in the tunnel and connect the wires to the data logging hardware.
FANS START: The tunnel judge will turn on the fan and let the tunnel and turbine get up to speed. This will take about 30 seconds.
GO/NO GO CALL: At the 30 second mark, the tunnel judge will ask if you want to run a trial. You can say YES or NO.
DATA COLLECTION:
- If you say NO (you do not want to run a trial): Remove the turbine, collect back your token, make any adjustments and go to the back of the line.
- If you say YES: The 30 second trial begins. The only way that a test can be redone is if judges determine that there has been a Catastrophic Failure because your turbine has failed and/or your output has dropped to ZERO.

PROTOCOL & SCORING (HS Only)

High school wind teams will participate in a "Shark Boil Challenge" as part of their wind tunnel testing score. The challenge is to attempt to boil 5ml of water using the power of wind, and teams will select the load and control the wind speed to do so.

Each team will have two tests (two tokens) designated for the Shark Tunnel. While teams will not have a specific testing schedule for this tunnel, there will be lines designated at the tunnel so teams with the fewest number of tests will have testing priority (if there is a line).

In case you missed it, check out our Shark Tunnel Info Session recording here.

WIND SPEED

No shrouds will be allowed in the Shark Tunnel. We are testing an external shroud that can be added to the Shark Wind Tunnel that will increase the range of wind speed from 0 to 17 m/s. You will want to select a speed that generates the adequate power to heat the resistor, but does not destroy your turbine or melt the resistor.

LOADS

The 1/2 watt resistor you select will be placed in 5 ml of water. The heat being generated in the resistor will be transferred to the water raising the temperature of the water. If the team powers the resistor faster than the water can take that heat away the resistor will burn out – ending your test! BE CAREFUL!

There will be no higher wattage resistors provided.

Selecting Loads Process:

You will select the load you attach to your turbine.
The resistors will range from 1 OHM - 1 MEGOHM.
There will be 25 different resistor values to choose from in between (1)OHM - 1 MEGOHM.
These will all be ½ watt resistors
These resistors will be put in the water and the heat they generate will heat the water.

TESTING PROCESS

Install wind turbine into tunnel
Attach selected load/resistor
Install load/resistor into test tube
Install temperature sensor into test tube
Judges add water and seal
Initial temperature is recorded
Timing starts as soon students start the wind tunnel
Test will run for 1 minute
Final temperature is recorded at end of minute
Wind turbine removed from tunnel

SCORING

We will measure the starting and finishing temperature in ℃ after 1 minute of power generation in the tunnel. The largest change in temperature will receive 10 points. Other scores will be compared to the top score and receive ratio of points.

Example - Top score - 80℃ Your score 40℃

80℃ = 10 Points

40℃ = 5 Points

There are three divisions, similar to standard tunnels. Your performance will only be compared to turbines in your generator division.

KW Generator Division
OPEN Generator Division
HOMEBUILT Generator Division

During the solar judging session, we will test each solar home in a solar testing rig, which is a bank of lights of approximately 1 square meter positioned 1 meter off the table.

Students will place their solar home under the solar testing rig to an optimal position. Students will be able to turn on any switches, microcontrollers, or other controls that are part of their solar project during the judging session to demonstrate performance.

Your solar home will be tested during your 30-minute judging session. Teams can expect to be evaluated on the following criteria: circuit design, functionality, inspiration, creativity, aesthetics, materials, and knowledge about solar power.

Solar Testing Array Specifics

For Worlds, the Solar Blast is the testing array that will be used. This is a static bank of lights that will result in 300-400 W/m2 as the energy source for solar panels (for reference, the light output by the Sun is equivalent to 1000 W/m2). Solar devices will need to fit within a 2’ wide by 2’ long by 1’ high space. There will be a 4” buffer of safe space between the maximum height of the solar device and the hot halogen lights.

Elementary School (4-5th grades), Middle School (6th-8th grades), and High School (9th-12th) teams can participate in the Solar Home division. Only Middle School and High School teams can participate in the Solar Smart Home division.

Teams will need to plan ahead for their judging session to ensure the proper balance of time to allow for setup, demonstration, presentation, judges questions, and removal of themselves with their device.

Solar Testing Protocol

During solar testing, teams must demonstrate the functionality of each circuit and capability of their solar device.

SOLAR DEVICE SET-UP: Place your device in the testing array and make any adjustments that need to be made. NOTE: Judges may ask the team to give their presentation before starting the demonstration.
SOLAR ARRAY START: A solar judge will turn on the lights and let the team activate the device.
DEMONSTRATION: Teams will complete the demonstration portion of their scheduled time with the judges, and indicate when the testing array may be shut off. The judges will ask questions during and after the demonstration.

SOLAR DEVICE REMOVAL: After the demonstration and presentation have been completed, the team will be excused by one of the judges and expected to quickly disassemble their device as needed to return to the staging area and clear the room to allow judges to prepare for the next team.

Solar Teams have a whole list of required items that they must bring with them to their scheduled judging section. Use these handy checklists to be sure you have everything you need!

Instant Challenges are an on-the-spot test of knowledge, skills, problem-solving, and teamwork. These Challenges will be included on each teams' individual Worlds schedule on Monday or Tuesday. They will not require any preparation prior to arriving at Worlds (apart from the MS & HS Data Analytics Instant Challenges, details below) and all materials needed to complete each Challenge will be provided. All team members must participate in each Instant Challenge, and the results will be a part of each team's overall score at Worlds. Each grade division has their own set of Instant Challenges.

We will share more details about this year's Instant Challenges in the spring of 2026.

Teams will be scheduled to participate in a Knowledge Test to evaluate their general understanding of clean energy. The 2026 Knowledge Test will be a pen and paper format and teams will complete the quiz together at the same time as the other teams in their age division during a 1-hour scheduled session. This element will likely have questions projected on a screen and read aloud.

To prepare, teams can consult our 10 Big Questions About Energy resource to frame their learning.

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