Nearly 700 students throughout Florida converged at the University of Central Florida’s Florida Solar Energy Center in Cocoa on Saturday, May 9, 2009 to compete in the seventh-annual EnergyWhiz Olympics. Events included the new Bright House Solar Energy Cookoff, a solar cooker and cooking contest; the Junior Solar Sprint, model-size solar car races; the High School Hydrogen Sprint, model-size hydrogen fuel cell car races; and Energy Innovations, a full-scale solar electric design challenge.

“The EnergyWhiz Olympics grows a little each year, and this year’s event is the biggest ever. It’s exciting to see so many students learning about renewable energy and sharing their experiences,” said Susan Schleith, education coordinator at FSEC.

The newly-added Bright House Solar Energy Cookoff challenged students to design and build solar cookers, and also design and cook a recipe of their own creation in their oven. Student creativity and engineering skills illuminated in the solar oven designs. One solar cooker was made using an old water heater, while another used a traditional grill, but “fueled” it by using a lens from an old projection TV, intensifying the sun’s heat. The students’ culinary talents were also put to the test, and their dishes were judged on taste, ingredients and creativity; one team was even more creative and serenaded the judges while they were taste-testing.

The Energy Innovations program is a full-scale solar electric design and marketing challenge for middle and high school students. Each participating team designed and constructed a product or artistic work fully powered by photovoltaic (PV) panels, also called solar electricity, provided by BP. Teams also created marketing pieces, such as brochures, fliers, and posters, to accompany their products.

One of the most popular events each year is the Junior Solar Sprint (JSS), where students design, construct and race solar-powered vehicles. This hands-on competition, for middle school students in sixth through eighth grade, encourages scientific know-how, creative thinking, experimentation and teamwork. Awards were given based on vehicle design, quality of craftsmanship, innovation and vehicle speed. This year nearly 50 teams competed for the awards.

The Hydrogen Sprint, a competition for high school students in grades 9-12, allows students to design, build and race model-sized hydrogen fuel cells cars. This competition exposes students to hydrogen’s potential as an alternative fuel source and also gives graduates of the Junior Solar Sprint program an opportunity to continue designing and building alternative-fueled vehicles. Participating teams also give a 10-minute presentation on any aspect of hydrogen they learned about while creating their vehicle. The winner of this event ran 20 meters in just 5.16 seconds – the fastest time recorded among middle and high school students in the last two years.

Results of  the competitions are listed below:

6th Grade Junior Solar Sprint

• 1st place: Kanapaha Middle, Gainesville (Bam)
• 2nd place: New School Preparatory, Orlando (Care Car)
• 3rd place: South Seminole Middle, Casselberry (The Arrowhead)

7th Grade Junior Solar Sprint

• 1st place: Jupiter Middle, Jupiter (Mach 4)
• 2nd place: Edgewood Jr./Sr., Merritt Island (Screaming Red Ants)
• 3rd place: South Seminole Middle, Casselberry (World Traveler)

8th Grade Junior Solar Sprint

• 1st place: Hidden Oaks Middle, Palm City (The Flying Pig)
• 2nd place: South Seminole Middle, Casselberry (El Taco)
• 3rd place: Lockhart Middle, Orlando (Starlite Drive)

Overall Junior Solar Sprint

• Most Innovative Vehicle 1st place: Jupiter Middle, Jupiter (The Car Men)
• Most Innovative Vehicle 2nd place: McLane Middle, Brandon (Vibot 3)
• Most Innovative Vehicle 3rd place: Conway Middle, Orlando (The Silver Dawg)

• Best Design 1st place: McLane Middle, Brandon (Vibot 3)
• Best Design 2nd place: Jupiter Middle, Jupiter (The Car Men)
• Best Design 3rd place: Conway Middle, Orlando (Glitter Gadget)

Hydrogen Sprint

• 1st place Vehicle Performance: Edgewood Jr./Sr. High, Merritt Island (M-Jop III)
• 1st place Hydrogen Presentation: Edgewood Jr./Sr. High, Merritt Island (Racegirls)
• 1st place Vehicle Design: Olympia High, Orlando (Titan I Rocket)

• Overall 1st place: Edgewood Jr./Sr. High, Merritt Island (Racegirls)
• Overall 2nd place: Edgewood Jr./Sr. High, Merritt Island (M-Jop III)
• Overall 3rd place: Olympic High, Orlando (Titan I Rocket)

Energy Innovations

• 1st place Middle School Division: South Seminole Middle, Casselberry (The Amazing Squirt)
• 1st place High School Division: Olympia High, Orlando (S.T.E.M.S. – portable power station)
• 2nd place High School: Bayside High, Palm Bay (Solar Charged Electric Car)
• 3rd place High School: South Plantation High, Plantation (Preparation H – solar hydroponics)
• WOW! Award (most creative and artistic): Tie, South Seminole Middle, Casselberry (The Amazing Squirt) and Edgewood Jr./Sr. High, Merritt Island (Solar Powered Projection)

Bright House Solar Energy Cookoff

• Elementary 1st Best Design: Gardendale Elementary, Merritt Island
  (Sky is the Limit)
• Elementary 2nd Best Design: St. Martha Catholic School, Sarasota
  (Heat Wave)
• Elementary 3rd Best Design: St. Martha Catholic School, Sarasota
  (Steak Sweethearts)
• Elementary 1st Solar Cooking: New School Preparatory, Orlando
  (Beach Buddies)
• Elementary 2nd Solar Cooking: Gardendale Elementary, Merritt Island
  (Sky is the Limit)
• Elementary 3rd Solar Cooking: Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy, Melbourne (Rocking Crazy Wolfs)
• Middle School 1st Best Design: South Seminole Middle, Casselberry
  (The Spice is Right)
• Middle School 2nd Best Design: James Madison Middle, Titusville
  (Delectables)
• Middle School 3rd Best Design: James Madison Middle, Titusville
  (Del Sol)
• Middle School 1st Solar Cooking: Stewart Middle Magnet, Tampa
  (Solar Chefs)
• Middle School 2nd Solar Cooking: James Madison Middle, Titusville
  (Del Sol)
• Middle School 3rd Solar Cooking: James Madison Middle, Titusville
  (Delectables)

For more information about this and other K-12 educational events, contact Susan Schleith at susan@fsec.ucf.edu or 321-638-1017.

Additional Links

Link to Florida Solar Energy Center’s photo gallery:
http://media.fsec.ucf.edu/photos/2307-EnergyWhiz-Olympics-2009/index.html

Link to FLORIDA TODAY story:
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20090510/NEWS01/905100316/1086

Link to FLORIDA TODAY photo gallery: http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=A9&Date=20090509&Category=NEWS01&ArtN o=509026&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=1

• The Junior Solar Sprint is a competition that challenges middle school students to design, build and race model solar cars. Awards are given based on vehicle design, quality of craftsmanship, innovation and vehicle speed.
• The Hydrogen Sprint is a high school competition that provides opportunities for students to explore hydrogen power with a hands-on design component and a presentation.
• The Energy Innovations program is a full-scale solar electric design and marketing challenge for middle and high school students. Each participating team designs and constructs a product or artistic work fully powered by photovoltaics (PV), also called solar electric cells. Teams also create marketing pieces, such as brochures, fliers, and posters, to accompany their products.
• The Bright House Solar Energy Cook-Off challenges students, in grades 4th – 8th, to design and build solar cookers, and to also cook a recipe of their own creation using the power of the sun.  In Top Chef-style, each dish will be judged by a panel of experts based on taste, ingredients and creativity.

WHY:
These hands-on renewable energy competitions – for elementary, middle and high school students – expose students to alternative energy fuel sources, and encourage scientific know-how, creative thinking, experimentation and teamwork.

WHO:
More than 650 elementary, middle, and high school Florida students – from Tallahassee to Miami and everywhere in between – will participate in the EnergyWhiz Olympics.

Number of Teams in Each Competition –
Junior Solar Sprint:  60
Hydrogen Sprint:  13
Energy Innovations:  12
Solar Cook-off:  46

WHEN:
Saturday, May 9 starting at 9 a.m.

9:00 a.m.    Welcome – Auditorium
Dr. James Fenton, Director, Florida Solar Energy Center

9:30 a.m.    Technical Judging Begins – Junior Solar Sprint, Hydrogen Sprint
Hydrogen Sprint Presentations
Energy Innovations Displays Open to Public
Solar Energy Cook-Off – Design Judging
Solar Cookers – Displays Open to Public

11:30 a.m.    Energy Innovations Judging – Middle School Teams

12 noon    Energy Innovations Judging – High School Teams
Junior Solar Sprint Race Begins (Track Area 1)

1:00 p.m.    Hydrogen Sprint Race Begins (Track Area 2)

2:00 p.m.    Solar Energy Cook-Off – Recipe Judging (Auditorium)

3:30 p.m.    Awards Ceremony (Auditorium)

WHERE:
Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, FL 32922

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

For more information on these exciting educational events, visit
http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/education/k-12/events/ewhiz_olympics.htm or view a video about the EnergyWhiz Olympics at http://vimeo.com/982597.

Contact Susan Schleith, FSEC Education Coordinator, at 321-638-1017 or Susan@fsec.ucf.edu.

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PR09-07

The University of Central Florida’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) and the Brevard Community College Green Team will host the event on Saturday, April 18, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Everyone is invited, and admission is free.

Learn from the experts how to cut your energy costs without sacrificing comfort, the benefits of green roofs, the basics of solar energy and the latest research in alternative fuel technology. Tours of the center will also be offered.

Exhibitors and vendors will offer presentations, demonstrations and activities.
Solar energy, environmental and educational exhibits — including various types of alternative fuel vehicles — will be on display, and a farmer’s market will feature local organic food. Activities for kids include a bicycle rodeo, solar boat demonstrations, a bouncy house and face painting. In addition, the Middle School Science Bowl finalist teams will race their model hydrogen fuel cell cars.

The BCC Green Team will present free educational and environmental films, “Gimme Green,” “Who Killed the Electric Car?” and “Kilowatt Ours.” The BCC Planetarium and Observatory will present two showings of the movie “A Living Sea,” which is shown in IMAX, at a discounted rate of $3.

Sunsational EarthFest activities will be located throughout the north end of the Brevard Community College Cocoa Campus and at the Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 Clearlake Road, Cocoa.

Sunsational EarthFest is sponsored by the Florida Solar Energy Center, the BCC Green Team, Bright House Networks, FLORIDA TODAY and SolarWorld.

For more information, call Susan Schleith at (321) 638-1017 or go to www.floridaenergycenter.org/go/earthfest.

Seventeen teachers came to the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) in Cocoa this past Saturday, from as far away as Sarasota and Port St. Lucie, to learn how to build solar cookers.

Teachers learn how to construct solar cookers from everyday items such as an umbrella.

Working in teams, the teachers constructed five different solar cookers.  Each design used common household items in creative ways, including an umbrella, inner tube, and plant stand, to name just a few.  Armed with new information, strategies and inspiration, these teachers will work with their students to build a variety of solar cookers.  The student-designed and built cookers will be on display at the Bright House Solar Energy Cook-off at FSEC’s EnergyWhiz Olympics on May 9. In Top Chef style, student teams will also submit a food cooked in their solar cooker to be judged by a panel of experts.

“Solar cooking is more than fun science. It also teaches solutions to real-world problems that impact peoples’ lives, especially in the developing world, where women spend half a day, nearly every day, collecting firewood for fuel,” said David Schleith, a teacher at Einstein Montessori School in Cocoa.

Karen Regan from Stone Middle School in Melbourne said she just introduced her students to solar cooking. After she shared some videos about the topic from http://www.teachertube.com/, one of her students said, “If a woman from an underprivileged country can build a solar cooker from practically nothing, then we should be able to do it.”

For millions of people around the world who cook over fires fueled by wood or dung, solar cooking is more than a choice—it is a blessing. Solar cooking is the simplest, safest and most convenient way to cook food without consuming fuels. For those who lack access to safe drinking water, solar water pasteurization using a solar cooker is a life-saving skill.

“Solar cooking seems to appeal to the kids who aren’t immersed in research or even solar cars, yet want to do something hands-on. And it’s a great activity for bringing students back to science after FCAT,” said Regan.

Bright House Networks sponsored the solar cooking workshop.  The teacher-built cookers will be on display at the Sunsational EarthFest at FSEC on April 18. For more information about the Sunsational EarthFest, visit http://www.floridaenergycenter.or/go/earthfest

For more information about the Bright House Solar Cook-off, visit: http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/education/k-12/events/solar_cookoff/

For more information about the EnergyWhiz Olympics, visit http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/education/k-12/events/ewhiz_olympics.htm

For information about teacher professional development, contact Susan Schleith at 321-638-1017.