Going solar

Definitely no mass protests are expected in this race. Our “beauty” contestant is no other than Sikat II, the Philippines’ entry to the 2013 World Solar Challenge that starts this Sunday in Darwin, Australia, and ends on Oct. 12.

Team Sikat Solar Philippines, made up of a core group of 20 mechanical and electrical engineering students and six faculty members from De La Salle University, are determined to do better this time. This car is currently doing a series of pre-competition road tests in Darwin to determine its road reliability.

Sikat II is entered in the “amateur” GoPro Adventure class, and while the bling of technology in the Challenger and Cruiser classes is not as glitzy, this race will showcase the passionate hearts of those competing.

According to the World Solar Challenge guidelines, “the philosophy and ethos of the Adventure Class is [for] those who can work effectively with their available resources to achieve an outcome to the best of their capability.” In other words, having participated is in itself the reward.

Of course, the other “reward” is being able to promote the use of the sun as a renewable energy source for transport fuel. Great strides have been accomplished in the race’s two decades of competition, and more advances are expected as the cost of producing electricity from solar cells further drops.

2013 challenge

The World Solar Challenge, held every two years since its founding in 1987, is touted as the biggest solar-powered car race in the world, covering over 3,000 kilometers from Darwin to Adelaide and cutting through the heart of the Australian Outback.

This year, over 40 teams from 23 countries are participating in the three classes. In the GoPro Adventure class, seven teams including the Philippines’ Team Sikat are enrolled. This is the Philippines’ third time to join, with the first entry called Sinag, and the second, Sikat.

Improved version

Our DLSU students and teachers are all fired-up when discussing the much-improved features of Sikat II, which they claim is definitely a better version of the previous entries.

Sikat II now runs at an average speed of 80 kph and a maximum speed of 110 kph. Other tech descriptions include the utilization of Sunpower Silicon C60 with an estimated efficiency of 22 percent with a power output of 1,300 watts.

The improved solar car now also has a new battery management system, improved telemetry, and upgraded wiring. Its brakes are likewise newly designed. And the solar car has a new suspension system.

Moving Sikat II across the Australian mainland from the north going down to the south largely through the Stuart Highway is an experience of a lifetime for any green car enthusiast. The race also has rules that fire up the imagination of all those who participate to strive to do their best.

Still a dream

A future of highways filled with vehicles running on sheer sun power is still a far-fetched dream. Solar photovoltaic cells that collect heat from the sun and convert this to energy are still expensive, although the cost has been dramatically reduced in recent years.

Because solar cells will do their job only when they receive enough energy from the sun, the technology is not ideal for vehicles, which humans want to use at their convenience. Who wants a car that can’t run when the sky is cloudy or at night?

Latest technology breakthroughs have managed to solve the problem of cloudy days, capturing instead the ambient heat. Still, these new changes are unable to offer complete solutions to solar vehicles’ other important handicaps.

There are big motoring firms like Toyota and Honda, and countries like the US, India and Australia that allocate substantial resources to the research and development of solar-powered vehicles. So far, the most plausible role of solar cells in transport has been as a supplementary source of power.

While solar is the ideal fuel to run vehicles, making solar panels is still energy-intensive. In principle, one can only really reap the benefits of the solar panels used after 10 years, which is no longer acceptable in our current beleaguered environment.

Other solar applications

Thus, solar has shown better value in other applications: perimeter lighting, home heating, and as an auxiliary power source to run a radio or a night light. There are a number of solar power plants now in the world, thanks largely to the high cost of competing power sources like coal and fuel.

Many believe that solar power plants will soon become the trend for the power industry, especially in countries that enjoy plenty of sunshine. With many governments granting liberal incentives for solar power plants, businesses are seriously studying the economics of investing in them.

Once a solar power plant has been built, there is very little maintenance and operations cost in succeeding years. After the investment is recovered, which could be from five to eight years, the rest of the generated income is sweet gravy.

The Philippines has started its own incentive system for renewable energies, including solar, although not many have been biting. If investors are not coming in, perhaps a review is timely.

Let’s heed Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who in a speech delivered at Cleantech Venture Forum VIII in 2005, said: “Clearly, we need more incentives to quickly increase the use of wind and solar power; they will cut the costs, increase our energy independence and our national security and reduce the consequences of global warming.”

Collegiate basketball ongoings

The road to the national collegiate title is starting to fill up with teams that are qualified and raring to go to the next phases of the Champions League (PCCL) 2013 National Collegiate Championship.

Already in the elite Sweet 16 round are the UAAP teams (DLSU Green Archers, UST Growling Tigers, NU Bulldogs and FEU Tamaraws), and the CESAFI-Cebu teams (Southwestern University Cobras, University of Visayas Green Lancers and University of San Carlos Warriors).

The cast from NCAA is not yet clear, although San Beda College Red Lions, Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights, University of Perpetual Help Altas and San Sebastian Colleg-Recoletos golden Stags are leading the race for the league’s Final Four.

Visit www.CollegiateChampionsLeague.net for more details and join the ongoing contests and surveys for a chance to get surprise gifts from PCCL sponsors.

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Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at [email protected]. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.