2010

Project Report

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Solar Car Challenge – “What’s it all about?” The Challenge has been running for a number of years and is designed to raise awareness of renewable energy, climate change and pollution to Key Stage 2 pupils in school time. This year 13 schools attended the challenge and we hope the pupils had some fun while learning about environment challenges and the benefits of solar power, as well as engineering, science and graphic design. Each school were provided with 2 kits consisting of a solar cell, motor, gearing and wheels and the pupils let their imaginations run wild to come up with ideas for their cars. The first kit was to produce a car for entry into the Fastest Car category where the car competed in a flat race. The second kit was to help produce a vehicle for entry into the Best Body Design category. The only stipulation for the Design category was that the car must move under solar power.

The car kits used are the invention of David Garlovsky of the Schools & Home Energy Education Project based in Sheffield. Visit the project's website www.solar-active.com for further information. This year the final took place on Wednesday 7 July at Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd, Sports and Social club, Washington, Sunderland.

The weather didn’t look too promising at the start of the day as the wind was blowing and dark clouds were forming over the track. But the sun eventually got its hat on, decided to grace us with its presence and showed how Solar Photo Voltaics can be utilised and used to meet our energy needs.

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Welcome The day started with registration where the pupils signed in and took on light refreshments. They were advised of their group colour and a group leader was allocated to each of the 4 groups – blue, green, orange and yellow.

Rich Hurst welcoming schools to the competition.

Master of Ceremonies, Brendan Prior then advised the pupils of the day’s itinerary and what to expect:

Speed Race

Design Judging

Climate Cops

Power Down Workshop

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The Speed Race

This year the Speed Race took place on a purpose built 15 metre track. The cars had a smooth race on this surface and as the sun shone, the cars zoomed down the track from the start gates

to the finish.

As in previous years, all groups were allowed to test their cars on the track and were given time to make any adjustments before their official race. Extra kits were made available at track side for any adjustments that were needed. Instructions were given which advised competitor’s that one pupil could follow the car down the track to ensure their car stayed in its own lane. Track side officials were on hand to ensure the rules were not broken. A number of heats were held with the winners and runner up from each group going through to semi-finals and then the final.

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The Winners of the Speed Race

1st place Fens Primary School

(Hartlepool)

2nd place 3rd place Lingdale Primary School Willington Primary School (Redcar & Cleveland) (Co. Durham)

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The Design Competition

Judging the Design category fell upon the shoulders of Paul Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of Tadea Ltd, Louise Kempton, Strategy Manager Services of ONE North East and Dawn Oxley of ONE North East. The pupils took their design to the judges table and explained how they came up with the design of the car and its name. Many pupils had specific roles and they explained their role in detail to the judging panel. The judges awarded points for a number of criteria and a total of 100 points could be awarded. The judges were particularly focussed on originality, research undertaken, level of detail, final presentation of design, the fact the vehicle worked but also, as importantly, teased out the teamwork involved and how far each team progressed with minimum help from teachers and other more experienced individuals. Following a 10 minute “grilling” from the judging panel, the car was then taken outside with one

of the judges to show the car in motion.

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The Winners of the Best Body Design

1st Place Helios

by Green Lane CE Primary

(Co. Durham)

The whole of Y5/6 (85 children) were asked to come up with a design for the Best Body category. They were given 2 weeks and the favourite was chosen by vote. 4 pupils were then chosen from eco-club who are very able scientists, artists and designers to run the project (one of whom was the winning designer - Holly Buck) They thought of ways of developing the design from the original solar system concept after looking at the judges allocation of marks. They wanted to include the solar panel and link it to the theme and eventually thought it could be the satellite. The wheels, they thought, could be phases of the moon. After this, different children volunteered for different jobs. Charlie Robson researched details of each planet and the relative sizes and distances from the Sun. Nick Hamilton started making the pom-poms the correct relative size and colours using card inners and wool. He left on some wool to attach to the wooden dowling later. Robbie Lowes started working on the papier mache sun with Holly and working out how they could attach it to the wooden base (balsa wood). Holly then painted the Sun using kromer paint (glows/shiny finish). Holly then thought about the wheels and designed them as a full moon, new moon, waxing and waning gibbous using kromer on card and gluing them on. They then wanted to show the distances from the Sun of each planet but this would have meant Pluto being ridiculously far away so agreed to make the dowling (the Sun's rays) 2 cm longer for each planet as they got further from the Sun. Robbie cut this and shaped the base to allow the wheels to fit on. Nick worked on the geers and Charlie attached the solar panel with the glue gun. They then worked out the diameter of the papier mache sun and pierced nine holes evenly in the Sun to poke the dowling through. They then attached planets and checked that the weight of the larger pom-poms e.g. Jupiter still allowed the car to move. It did so they started gathering up all our processes into the book. A name was needed and Charlie has a keen interest in History and Ancient Greeks and came up with Helios and he designed the front cover of the booklet as it was put together.

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2nd Place 3rd Place Jesmond Road Primary School Fens Primary School (Hartlepool) (Hartlepool)

Prizes

Each pupil that attended on the day received a certificate

All winners received a medal

1st Trophy to be displayed in school for the year.

Funded visit to Environmental Extra at Cassop Primary School £100 vouchers

2nd

£200 vouchers for the school

3rd £100 vouchers for the school

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Climate Cops NPower Climate Cops attended again this year to work with the children. This is a great activity, enjoyed by children and adults alike!

Power Down Work Shop Andrea Carling from Groundwork North East held workshops on ways of reducing energy use. Children took part in interactive games.

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Schools Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

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What we had to say: Brendan Prior - Master of Ceremonies.

“I have worked with young people in the North East within the Youth Service. I have observed their

innovation, attention to detail, diverse imagination and team work but never to the level that I have seen in

this years’ Solar Car Challenge. I was astounded by the high quality of workmanship that the young people of

the North East have put into the production the solar vehicles and would find it an honour to be involved in

future events”.

J. Gargan, Head Teacher, Aycliffe Village Primary School

The Solar Car Challenge gets better each year with more to do for the pupils each year. A great event.

Paul A Jackson – Sponsors – TADEA Ltd

The enthusiasm, attention to detail and overall standard of presentation was of an extremely high order.

Many of the concepts our post University age population wish to debate and talk around are very much part

of the culture of the age group represented in this superb Solar Challenge event. It is down to events such

as this, both challenging in an educational sense, yet fun at the same time, that are helping with the

behavioural change I believe was evident throughout the day. Our future is very bright indeed. Maybe we

can begin to expect it to be renewable too.

Thanks and acknowledgements Many thanks to the staff at the Sports & Social club. Thanks to the steering group for their support and hard work in making the event such a success: Alison Matthews, Tadea Ltd Lisa Ferri, Tadea Ltd Kate Coulthard, Newcastle City Council Kate Hatton, ONE North East Laura Mctaggart, North Tyneside Council Joanne Taylor, Hartlepool Council Rich Hurst, Durham County Council Thanks also to the volunteers on the day: Paul Jackson, Tadea Ltd Louise Kempton, ONE North East Dawn Oxley, ONE North East Jenny Kelly, Newcastle University Brendan Prior, Tadea Ltd Andrea Carling, Groundwork North East