Starting kids off on the right foot by having them build solar cars
I think it's a good idea to get kids, even as young as 9-to-11 like these ones, thinking of alternative sources of power for their future transportation choices. When I was young, I was really interested in cars and trucks of all sorts, but the green trend had not yet started. Now, as kids are growing up and still forming opinions of the world, they are getting a taste of new types of energy sources. Just like when computers started going mainstream and kids began knowing more about them than their parents, could the same thing happen with technology like solar power? It could, if more programs like the one put on by the Rockville Library in Maryland called the Interactive Science Series pop up.[Source: Maryland Community Newspapers Online]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
John Rowell 8:19PM (4/15/2007)
I completely agree. It was because of an elementary school teacher who had a solar-powered gizmo in his classroom window that I developed an interest in solar energy and am in the solar business right now.
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pkuhl 11:04AM (4/16/2007)
I think its a great idea. However, we should all understand that we will probably not have solar powered cars anytime soon because you cannot:
1) Guarantee the angle of the panels to the sun.
2) Keep them in the sun at all times (garages etc.)
3) Probably add too much weight to the car
At Tesla Motors they talk about this a bit more.
Instead, put the solar panels on your home and charge the battery overnight.
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