Solar car energizes New York

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

Six months ago, Jonah Zankl returned to his hometown to engage the community and encourage sustainability by showing off the University of Calgary’s solar-powered car, the Schulich Delta, at five different Strathmore schools. Expanding the project’s horizons, the 20-year-old was among six other students who recently travelled to New York City to be a part of a launch promotion for a new National Geographic series.
The six-day trip allowed the team, which back in Calgary consists of over 50 students, to drive their invention all over Manhattan while also taking the opportunity to stop at major landmarks, such as Central Park, Times Square, and the American Museum of Natural History. Serving as a rolling billboard, the vehicle often stopped traffic, turned heads, and received much positive feedback during their time from Oct. 26 to 31.
“Our goal is not necessarily to build something market-ready, nor do we have the resources to do that, but I think as a team our goals are educational awareness, getting engineering out into the schools, and really showing what’s possible with some of these technologies,” Business Manager and Project Co-Chair Zankl said, a third-year U of C student who is doing a combined degree in Applied Math and Economics.
“When I was going to school at SHS, I was part of SAY and a bunch of groups to get involved in the community and getting people involved in something bigger than school. So when I saw this project, I thought it was a really interesting way to take education out to the schools in Alberta. I think the opportunity to be involved in something large scale that has some meaningful impact is really exciting.”
The Schulich Delta is the fourth attempt by the University of Calgary Solar Car Team and took a year to design and a year to build, with a hefty pricetag of $250,000 in materials attached.
With no emissions and no gas tank, the vehicle can travel 50 km an hour for as long as there is sunlight. Without direct sunlight, Zankl said the car can travel 50 km an hour for six to eight hours. It was also able to keep up with highway traffic at 110 km an hour.
“The likelihood of having solar cars out on the road isn’t high, but maybe we will start to see solar being integrated as part of a vehicle rather than as its main operational aspect,” he said.
“It’s an exciting prospect for the future and I think it just gathers a lot of traction and excitement that wouldn’t necessarily come from having solar panels on your house. When you see them on a car, it’s something completely different from what people expect.”
The team has been working on the car since 2004 in response to the North American solar car challenge. Yet the project hasn’t been without its challenges. Problem still arise in balancing the amount of solar energy that can be captured, storing the energy in standard batteries which add weight and reduce overall efficiency, and creating a lighter and more aerodynamic design.
The university students, from all different studies, have already begun working on the next vehicle. As for the Schulich Delta, it will be participating in outreaches around the province in the next year, with a race in July for the American Solar Challenge that spans from Pennsylvania to South Dakota.