Solar Cars Let's face it, nearly
everyone
wants a solar car. However, at present, even the fancy ones you see in
the solar car races are transferring from sunlight to wheels around the
same power that it takes to run a hair dryer...about 1500 watts. A
little disappointed? Don't be.
The SolarTaxi made its way
around
the world, towing a light trailer with solar panels on it. Please see www.solartaxi.com. "The mission is accomplished:
Around the World with the Sun!" The young Swiss adventurer, Louis
Palmer explains: "Like so many other things, the Solartaxi also began
with a childhood dream. In 1986 - I was just 14 years old - I dreamed
of driving around the world with a car on one day, which doesn't
destroy the earth at the same time - with a solar car!" Read about his
fascinating journey around our world, driven by sunlight.
Another dreamer, Marcelo da
Luz - his dream:
"to create and build a solar car that would set world distance
records." Check him out on the Power of One Solar Car
Project.
The Queen's
University RADIANCE brinkled its way
across
Canada in July
of
2000, visiting most major cities on its way. Radiance
started
from
Nova
Scotia
July
1,
2000
and arrived in Vancouver, B.C. July
29th. Back then, the Queens' University Solar Car team set the Guinness
world
land
distance
record
for
solar
vehicles. (Of course, that has been
passed several times since.) Using only 1,000 watts of power,
they drove 7044 km (4377 miles), at an average speed of 80 km/h (50
mph)
. Radiance took second place at
both Sunrayce '99 and the 1999 World Solar Challenge in
Australia.
Queens
University Solar Car Team, with "Gemini", 2003
(Photo by: Stefano Paltera / American Solar Challenge)
America Solar Challenge 2005
The American Solar Challenge is normally held every two years within
the U.S., but in this special international edition, students designed,
built and tested solar-powered cars across the United States and
Canada. The 2,500-mile challenge began in Austin, Texas, July 17 and
finished July 27 in Calgary, Alberta.
World Solar Challenge
"Known as 'Brain-Sport' the World Solar Challenge participants will
traverse more than 3,000km over the Australian continent - from
tropical Darwin to balmy Adelaide, in cars powered by nothing more than
the sun." The 2011 World Solar Challenge will depart Darwin on October 16.
Stanford University students are hoping for a big win: Stanford Introduces New Solar Car (YouTube, 1:39)
Winston Solar Challenge
["...is an international education program
designed for teaching high school students the physics and
technology associated with a road worthy solar car." Check out
their informative History
of
Solar
Car
Racing.
Junior Solar Sprintis a fun hands-on educational program for 6th,
7th and 8th grade students in the U.S.A. Students are supplied
with solar panels, motors, and detailed suggestions; and mentored to
build and race working
model solar cars. Excellent middle school mechanics
instructions wrapped
around designing and building a solar car. Free downloads in pdf format
and
animated computer programs.
Building
a
Model
Solar
Car
HomePage
[Instructions prepared by the Minnesota Renewable
Energy Society for Junior Solar Sprint cars.]
Chuck Wright's Home Page
Chuck Wright has a site to explore! Check out his
energy-use calculators, his inexpensive pyranometer, his detailed notes
on
Jr. Solar Sprint Cars, and lots more.
Solar Boats
Sunlight on the water-planet...
Your job is to stay afloat and get somewhere. Try
a solar boat.
The Story (and History) of
Solar Powered Boats
"Solar boats are electrical boats, with independent,
quiet and clean engines, whose batteries store free energy from the
sun."
For Solar Boats around the world, see the Solar Navigator site.
For Solar Boat Model ideas, see: Plugging into the Sun in the U.K.
SOLAR SPLASH "...is
the
World
Championship
of
Solar/Electric
boating.
It
is an international intercollegiate
competition that takes place over five days."
Electric VehiclesSolarChargedDriving.com
("Plugging the World into the Power of the Sun") is a good site for
updated solar energy news; and promotes the concept of solar-charging
electric cars.
Although not strictly solar, you may be
interested in Electrifying
Times for zero emissions (depending on their source of
electricity)
vehicles.
A great site for general information about
electric vehicles is ElectroAuto.com. No
other
electric
car
company
has
this
depth of automotive experience. No
one else has been building electric cars as
long."
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