July 20, 2003 News Media Release

Students learn to harness sun to race miniature solar boats

It’s not like being out on Lake Travis or Lake Austin, but students in this summer’s Aerospace Camp are hoping for a break in the clouds tomorrow to capture the energy from the sun and race their miniature solar boats and cars they have built during the week-long camp.

Teams of students will race the boats and cars at 11 a.m. Friday, July 18, at Martin Jr. High School, 1601 Haskell Street. More than 70 students are participating in the annual Aerospace Camp sponsored by the Travis County 4-H & Youth Development Program and several local sponsors including Austin Energy to teach youth about science. The students, ages 9-12, race the cars on a 64-foot wooden track and the boats on a long trough filled with water.

Austin Energy, Austin’s community-owned electric utility, provides miniature photovoltaic panels and parts and accessories and also provides staff members to teach the students about solar power.

Solar power is a renewable energy source that converts the sun’s heat and light into energy. A small photovoltaic panel that collects sunlight is the basic building component of the solar boat and car. By attaching a wire connected to a motor to the photovoltaic panel, electrical charges are sent through the wire to turn the motor and rotate a propeller on the boat or the axle on the car.

-end-

For more information, contact Ed Clark, Public Information.
Phone: (512) 322-6514
Pager: (512) 802-2000