TES Connect 2026 Summer

Unique Journeys

Catching the Trade Winds: The FOBISIA KidWind Challenge Powers Through TES! By Ms Yoko Tsai, Head of Science, BSHS

The air in the atrium wasn’t just humming with excitement; it was whistling through the blades of the most innovative turbines we have ever seen. On March 14th and 15th, Taipei Euro pean School proudly hosted the FOBISIA STEM: KidWind Challenge 2026. Our campus trans formed into a high-tech powerhouse as we wel comed 8 elite teams from across Asia to write a brilliant chapter for renewable energy education and sustainable development. To kick off the event, we were honoured to have Mark Wainwright, CEO of the Fengmiao Off shore Wind Farm and Vice President of COP, as our Keynote Speaker. His insights into the mas sive scale of offshore wind provided the perfect ‘real-world’ inspiration for our students.

The Science of the Spin: Beyond the ‘Toy’ As our lead judge, Dr Chou noted, it is easy to underestimate wind power because we often see windmills as toys. In reality, students had to master a sophisticated multidisciplinary feat involving physics, aeronautical engineering, and mechanical design. The Engineering Tug-of-War: Torque vs Speed The greatest scientific challenge was managing the relationship between Torque (turning force) and RPM (rotational speed). Teams had to find the ‘Goldilocks’ angle for their blades: a steep angle pro vides high torque to start the turbine easily, while a shallow angle allows for the high speeds necessary for maximum power. Students aimed for the Betz Limit (theoreti cal maximum efficiency of 59.3%) by minimising drag and maximising lift.

Mark Wainwright CEO of the Fengmiao Offshore Wind Farm and Vice President of COP

The Gauntlet: Record-Breaking Performance To ensure a professional assessment, we invited three distinguished industry experts to serve on our judging panel: Dr Chien-Heng Chou (AESEA), Mikko Simula (Northland Power), and Charlotta Noren (Copenhagen Offshore Partners). “I was deeply impressed by the students’ enthusi asm and willingness to take on these challenges. While determining a winner is part of the event, what truly matters is that we are all working togeth er to contribute to the future of green energy tech nology. Every participant is a winner today.” — Dr Chien-Heng Chou

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