30 June 2023
TOPEKA, K.S. (KSNT) – Over 200 students from 11 different universities are in Topeka this weekend to race solar-powered cars. It seems like this week’s sun and warm weather would provide perfect conditions for them, since these cars run on solar energy, but that’s not the case.
While sun exposure is ideal, hot weather can be tough on the cars’ solar panels and their drivers. The Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix, which sponsors the event, has several safety guidelines drives have to follow before hitting the track on a warm day.
“They have to have at least two liters of water in the car with them so they can stay hydrated,” Gail Lueck, the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix director, said. “As you might imagine, these solar-powered vehicles don’t really have air conditioning or some of the creature comforts that you and I are used to inside.”
Much like the drivers, solar panels also need to stay cool. If the solar cells on the panels get too hot, they won’t function properly, impacting their ability to race. Zach Howard, Appalachian State’s lead mechanical engineer, said high heat impacts a car’s efficiency on the track.
“If it were 30 degrees and as sunny as it is now, that’d be perfect conditions for us,” Howard said. “But every time we come into a stop, we have a water sprayer and we spray the array to try to cool it down to make it more and more efficient as we’re doing it.”
The cars have to endure the heat for eight hours each day during the event. Whichever team completes the most laps without running out of solar power wins, and they cannot stop during that eight hour span to recharge their car. However, Howard said these races are about more than simply winning and losing.
“The whole goal of the competition is to do something for the environment,” Howard said. “And so, the whole purpose – we’re all out here trying to push the technology as far as we can and prove that it’s capable and prove that it’s possible so in the future, we can start to transition to a more sustainable transportation system.”
Each team spends an entire year engineering their cars to prepare for this annual competition. The three day event begins at 10 a.m. on Friday and runs through Sunday. It’s free of charge for all visitors.