Solar car wins sixth consecutive victory in race

FORT WORTH, Texas, US, July 26, 2006 (Refocus Weekly) A student-built solar car averaged a speed of almost 30 mph and reached a top speed of 60 mph at the largest solar car competition in the United States.

The Sundancer, raced by 15 high school students from the Houston Vocational Center in Houston, Mississippi, won the Dell-Winston School Solar Car Challenge open division at Texas Motor Speedway. It is the sixth consecutive year that the team has captured first place in the competition.

During the four days and seven racing periods, the Sundancer traveled 619 miles in 413 laps, more than 13 other cars in the race. Its average speed was 30 mph and reached a top speed of 60 mph.

“The competition this year was tough,” says team captain Leigh Springer. “There were several new teams at the race and some of the older teams really improved their cars. However, our redesign of Sundancer’s body, some new solar cells from SCHOTT, and great teamwork gave us the edge we needed to keep our winning streak alive.”

The Dell-Winston School Solar Car Challenge is the largest solar car competition in the U.S. and is open to teams of high school students from around the world who design, build and race cars powered exclusively by solar energy. The computer manufacturer, Dell, is the title sponsor of the annual competition.

The challenge has taught 3,000 students about technology, teamwork, problem-solving and commitment and inspired thousands of others to get involved in long-term science projects. The Sundancer program at Houston Vocational Center allows students to gain engineering and business skills within the context of the renewable energy industry.

“Every time we win, it’s a joy to see the confidence and self-esteem that the kids have,” adds team coach Keith Reese. “That is something you can’t teach.”

The Sundancer team won six competitions since it swtiched to SCHOTT Solar PV cells in 2001. The 856 cells used in this year’s car were manufactured at the company’s 20 MM production facility in Billerica, Massachusetts.

Powered exclusively by solar energy, the Sundancer weights 356 kg and is 5 m long, 1.8 m wide and 1 m high. Energy from the PV cells is stored in nine Power Sonic batteries, and the vehicle was built entirely by high school students.


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