Team Package. Junior Solar Car Competition. Hosted by the SciTech Students of

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1 Team Package Junior Solar Car Competition Hosted by the SciTech Students of Port Credit Secondary School 70 Mineola Road East Mississauga, ON L5G 2E5 Tel: (905) Website: Page 1 of 12

2 Table of Contents Introduction Page 3 Resources Page 4 Location Page 5 Frequently Asked Questions Page 6 Rules and Regulations Page 8 Judging and Evaluation Page 10 Schedule of Events Page 11 Guidelines for Parent/Teacher Mentors Page 12 Page 2 of 12

3 Introduction The SciTech Solar Energy Team is a group of dynamic, hardworking students. Our team has participated in the Queens Solar Vehicle competition, which they won in Involvement with the Queen s University Solar competition taught our students more than they would learn in any course or textbook. Skills in leadership, teamwork, time management and problem solving are developed that will help students now and in the years to come as they graduate and pursue careers not only in engineering, but in any field. Our goals with the Junior Solar Car Competition are to encourage interest in science and technology in the future generation of engineering students. Hopefully by participating in the Junior Solar Car Competition, students can gain some of the same valuable skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives, regardless of their future education. The Junior Solar Car Competition is ideal for students who enjoy doing hands-on activities are creative and innovative have great ideas like to invent or design things are looking for something meaningful to focus on are interested in the environment, technology and science Students can: experience science, engineering, and technology first-hand by applying their knowledge to a real design challenge learn about solar energy, energy efficiency, renewable resources, electrical circuits and engineering design get hands-on experience working in a team of people with different talents, abilities and interests work cooperatively towards a common goal. become inspired to continue studying math, science and engineering throughout high school and university be creative and have fun Teachers/Parents can: allow students to apply classroom knowledge in a fun and meaningful way. encourage creative problem-solving approaches. reinforce critical science and technology concepts through hands-on experiences. inspire students to pursue science and engineering through high school and university. link this challenge with classroom learning about Environmental Science, Technology and Design, and/or General Science. Page 3 of 12

4 Resources Please refer to the following websites for background information. Building Mini Solar Vehicles Solar Vehicles Queen's Solar Design Team: html World Solar Challenge: Resources from the Power of One Solar Car Project : Solar Energy Resources from the Pembina Institute : Renewable Energy Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency: The Pembina Institute: Page 4 of 12

5 Location Date: Location: Parking: Thursday, May 22, :30AM to 2:30PM Port Credit Secondary School 70 Mineola Road East Mississauga, ON L5G 2E5 Parking for competitors is available in the West parking lot (first school driveway on the right on Mineola). Please come to the sign-in table located behind the technology wing. Please DO NOT enter by the front entrance to the school. Map: Page 5 of 12

6 Frequently Asked Questions Please read over the FAQs below before contacting the organizers with questions. If you have any questions that have not been answered, please contact our teacher coordinator: Mr. A. Noro Junior Solar Car Competition Port Credit Secondary School 70 Mineola Road East Mississauga, ON L5G 2E5 Tel: (905) Fax: (905) Website: Competition Information Any documents provided to the competing schools should be treated as living documents, and are subject to change at any time. While the organizing team will endeavour to notify all participants of any major changes/updates to these documents, it is in the teams' best interests to check the competition website often to ensure they are as up-to-date as possible. Please visit to view the Junior Solar Car Competition page. FAQs - General Q: When and where is the Junior Solar Car Competition? A: The competition will be held at Port Credit Secondary School on Thursday, May 22, The last date to register for the competition is Monday, March 31, In the event of rain or overcast skies, the competition will be held indoors with enhanced lighting. We will announce the detailed schedule for the day's events at a later date on our website. Q: What is the Junior Solar Car Competition? A: The Junior Solar Car Competition is an event hosted by students at Port Credit Secondary School where students in grades six to eight are invited to race solar-powered vehicles they have built themselves. Each team receives a kit from us that includes a solar panel and a motor. Using any other materials, competitors design and build their own vehicle. Various prizes are awarded such as those for placement in the races, knowledge about solar energy, excellently demonstrated construction skills, etc. The main goal of the competition is to learn about practical applications for renewable energy and to have fun doing so. Q: Can I use last year s solar panel and motor? A: Absolutely! We encourage competitors to be environmentally friendly and reuse supplies from last year (2013). Q: Who can participate in the Junior Solar Car Competition? A: Students in grades 6, 7, and 8 of the Peel District School Board can participate in the competition. Page 6 of 12

7 FAQs - Registration Q: How can I register for the Junior Solar Car Competition? A: To register for the Junior Solar Car Competition, please complete the registration form included in the initial interest package which is also available on the website. The completed form must be mailed to Port Credit Secondary School along with the $30.00 fee (if solar kits are needed). Q: How much does it cost to participate? A: If you are a new team or need additional panels or replacements the fee is $ Please make a cheque payable to 'Port Credit Secondary School'. Please write JUNIOR SOLAR CAR COMPETITION in the memo area. Q: How many teams can register from my school? A: Currently, a maximum of two teams per school are allowed to register. Q: How many students can be on a team? A: There can be no more than five students per team. FAQs - Race Day Q: What should I bring on the day of the races? A: You should bring: Working solar vehicle (any vehicle not ready to compete at their designated time may forfeit that round) Presentation Materials Sunscreen and a hat Lawn chairs to sit on Basic toolkit and materials to repair your vehicle on-site If a student has any food allergies, they should bring their own lunch Lots of enthusiasm! Q: What will be provided on the day of competition? A: The organizers will provide: A work table for each team to make repairs on their solar car Common power outlet Pizza and drink (any dietary restrictions must be reported a week in advance) Page 7 of 12

8 Rules and Regulations Objective The objective of the Junior Solar Car Competition is to design and build a vehicle that will complete a race in the shortest possible time using the available solar power. Teams will receive a kit containing a solar panel and a motor. Using any other materials, competitors will design and build a solar-powered vehicle that will race on a racecourse. Teams with the top scores will be awarded First, Second, and Third place. Team awards will also be presented in the following areas: Most Knowledgeable, Innovative Design, Team Spirit, and Craftsmanship. Competition Information Any documents provided to the competing schools should be treated as living documents, and are subject to change at any time. While the organizing team will endeavour to notify all participants of any major changes/updates to these documents, it is in the teams' best interest to check the competition website often to ensure they are as up-to-date as possible. Please visit to view the Junior Solar Car Competition page. Materials The motor and solar panel contained in the kit must be used without modification The remainder of the vehicle must be your own design and can be made from any other materials Vehicle Specifications The vehicle must be safe for contestants and spectators (e.g. no sharp edges, projectiles, etc.). The vehicle may be no more than 30 cm wide and 60 cm long and 30 cm high. Sunlight will be the only power source for the vehicle. No batteries or energy storage devices are permitted. Any energy-enhancing devices (mirrors, reflectors), if used, must be attached to the vehicle. The vehicle must be guided by the guidance system using at least two (2) eyelets affixed to the bottom of the vehicle. The vehicle must have a chassis that is three-dimensional. Teams will not be allowed to attach the axles and wheels of the vehicle directly to the solar module. The solar module cannot be used as the chassis of the vehicle. Competition Criteria Each team may only consist of a maximum of five (5) members. The solar vehicles may only be powered by the solar cells that are provided by Port Credit Secondary School. The solar vehicles may only be electrically powered by the motor provided by Port Credit Secondary School. The solar cells are not to be tampered with; teams will not be allowed to participate in the competition if it is determined that the provided materials have been modified in any way. As long as the team is not racing at the time, they can make modifications to their solar vehicles. Any team demonstrating unsportsmanlike behaviour will be disqualified at the discretion of the judges. Use of commercially available drive systems or prefabricated kits to build the solar vehicle is prohibited. Page 8 of 12

9 Teams will be notified ahead of time when their races will take place. Teams must bring their vehicle and tools that may be needed to work on the vehicle. It would also be preferable (but not required) to have a vehicle/team logo. Rules are subject to change at any time and will be updated on the website. More information will be available as it is developed so please check the website often. Track Specifications The length of the racecourse is at least 10 meters over level terrain. A guide wire will be located in the center of the track and will not be more than 1.5 cm above the track surface. The track will be a hard, smooth, level surface. A large sheet of rolled material (e.g., plastic, heavy paper, roll roofing [half-lap]) may be used to cover an uneven surface. Race Conduct At race time, vehicles will be placed behind the starting line with all wheels in contact with the ground. The contestants must cover the solar module with an opaque material (e.g., a file folder) without touching the module. At the start of the race, the contestants will remove the opaque covering to allow the solar module to generate electricity. An early or push start may result in disqualification or rerunning the race. The race judges will determine if a contestant is disqualified or if the race must be rerun. Team members may not accompany or touch the vehicle while it is racing on the track. Vehicles stalled on the track may be retrieved after the end of the race has been declared. The race will start when the official signal is given. One member of each team must wait at the finish line to catch the vehicle. Once the vehicle has reached the end of the track, it must be removed from the track immediately. Vehicles and team members must remain at the finish line until judges have recorded scores. Judges have the option to inspect vehicles prior to the final heat or at any time during or after the heats are completed. Page 9 of 12

10 Judging and Evaluation Judging Criteria When constructing the solar vehicle, teams will find it useful to consider a number of criteria upon which their vehicle will be evaluated, as well as areas which will allow them to produce the best vehicle possible. Some of these criteria could include the following: Potential speed Accuracy Acceleration Distance covered Appearance of vehicle Team spirit & teamwork Friction Weight Most innovative design Craftsmanship Well engineered Please note that this is only a guideline to assist teams in selecting areas to improve their vehicles, and final judging criteria are still subject to change. Analytical Evaluation On the day of the competition, teams will be evaluated quantitatively. Time trials will be conducted. The top solar vehicles in each group will move on to the elimination round. Details will be established a week before the competition. This will depend on the number of competitors. Additional Judgement of Solar Vehicle In addition to the quantitative evaluation in the form of races, each solar vehicle and team will also be evaluated on a number of other criteria. For example, teams may be asked to demonstrate their knowledge of their solar vehicle and discuss their design process. Judges may ask questions to test a team's understanding of solar power and its possible applications. An aesthetically pleasing vehicle may garner additional points from the judges. Awards The top three (3) teams will receive awards for First, Second, and Third place, respectively. The following team awards will be given in accordance to the points earned by the team (via a panel of judges): Most Knowledgeable, Innovative Design, Team Spirit, and Craftsmanship. Page 10 of 12

11 Schedule of Events The following is a tentative schedule of events for Thursday, May 22 nd, A finalized schedule will be ed to all participants prior to the race date. 8:45 Registration & vehicle inspection 9:30 Welcome & general announcements 9:45 Judging and races begin 12:00 Lunch break (until 12:30) 13:00 Races continue 13:30 Break to finalize judging scores 13:45 Awards ceremonies Page 11 of 12

12 Guidelines for Teacher/Parent Mentors Here are some guidelines for the teacher/parent mentors. These are meant to help provide some direction in the organization of your students Junior Solar Car Competition team. They are based on comments and suggestions made by past parent/teacher supervisors. Your Commitment Although the parent/teacher mentor is not responsible for building the solar vehicle (the students must do this!), the students will often need some guidance. Take the time to read over the RULES & REGULATIONS to familiarize yourself with the regulations and the format of the races. Take a look at the BACKGROUND INFORMATION links to find more information about solar vehicles, solar energy, renewable energy and electrical circuits. It is recommended that student teams meet once per week to allow students to report their progress and challenges to other members of their team. You, as an advisor, should be present at these meetings. (See Organizing Team Meetings below.) Student Leadership Students should be allowed (and encouraged!) to become leaders of their team. Teachers/parents should act as project managers or mentors", only contributing in an advisory role. The students must do the majority of the work for the challenge. This is THEIR project and their chance to shine! Different students can be responsible for different aspects of the challenge. For example, some students can work on the design and construction of the vehicle, some students can work on the reports, and some students can work on the display board. All students should still be given the chance to get a feel for all aspects of the challenge. Students can take charge of: o Vehicle design and construction o Documenting team progress and writing progress reports Organizing Meetings Weekly team meetings will help teams stay updated on their progress. Meetings should be held at a regularly-scheduled time and place to make it easy for all members to attend. Working on the solar vehicle may not always happen during meetings. It is often better to touch base to make sure everyone is keeping on schedule and then break apart to allow students to work on their component of the challenge on their own time. Meetings are a great time to bring up any design challenges or problems encountered so that the team can brainstorm solutions. Page 12 of 12