Blowing in the WinDesign: deadline extension

The deadline for submitting Solution proposals for PHASE 1 of the WinDesign Challenge has been extended to August 30, 2025.

Enel, a global leader in renewable energy, has launched WinDesign, an international contest where professionals and students are invited to imagine and design new wind turbines.

The goal is to develop turbine projects that blend more seamlessly into the landscapes that host them, thereby supporting their wider role in the energy transition.

Wind turbines are widely recognised as a symbol of clean, renewable energy: nevertheless, there is growing interest in reimagining their design to further harmonise with the surrounding landscape.

This is why Enel is looking to revolutionise the new wind turbines, and it plans to do so by appealing to the best and the brightest professionals in a contest that offers financial rewards.

The WinDesign contest is open to international seasoned experts in architecture, engineering, design, as well to enterprises, start-ups, research institutions, students and universities.  

The quest for 'Innovability'

The current competition is being managed through the Open Innovability Enel website, a platform specifically set up to attract innovative ideas from outside the company. The word Innovability© combines innov-ation and sustain-ability, highlighting the two essential ingredients to build tomorrow’s energy world.

Tech specs and more

The competition calls for wind turbines that comply with the industry’s technical regulations and standards, specifically three-blade rotor turbines, which combine the most efficient and suitable solution with the least environmental impact.

But the contest asks for more: in addition to their innovation and sustainability, proposals will be evaluated in terms of their design, technical and economic feasibility.

Running for rewards

In Phase 1, participants (both as individuals and as teams) are invited to present their preliminary ideas on the Open Innovability platform by August 30.

Before that date, they are welcome to attend explanatory workshops on April 15 and May 15, during which Enel representatives will answer their questions.

A selection panel comprising experts and professionals from within Enel Group, will select candidates who will proceed to Phase 2. All design proposals successful at this stage will receive a reward of €5,000.

Phase 2 will be open until November 29, and will focus on more detailed designs, with participants submitting full technical-economic feasibility studies.

A jury of academics and Enel experts will decide the winners, which will be announced between December 2025 and January 2026.

The winner will receive €250,000, the runner-up €150,000, and the third-placed entry €50,000.

There will also be special awards of €15,000 for the best projects in terms of Design, Technical and Economic Feasibility, and, needless to say, Innovation and Sustainability. It is not, however, possible to receive more than one award.

Please note that the requirements, expected level of detail, and deliverables remain exactly the same as outlined in the challenge's Technical Specifications, and all of them must be submitted — only the submission deadline has changed.

Beyond the contest

In addition to looking for brilliant, innovative ideas for the wind turbine of tomorrow, Enel is keen to highlight innovation as the driver of the energy transition, to show that technology and sustainability must go hand in hand, and to demonstrate that global challenges, like the decarbonisation process, can only be met by working together.

About Enel

Enel SpA generates, delivers, and sells energy in 28 countries on five continents, serving 55 million customers, while 72% (63 GW out of 87 GW) of its installed capacity comes from renewable sources: not only wind, but also hydroelectric, photovoltaic, geothermal power plants, and storage plants. Enel is also leading the way in electric mobility, with some 29,600 public charging stations worldwide.