More than 900 students throughout Florida converged Saturday, May 7 at the University of Central Florida’s Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) in Cocoa to compete in the day-long competition showcasing student projects in alternative fuel technologies.

Solar Energy Cookoff teams were judged on their cooker's design and the dish they cooked.

Events included the Bright House Solar Energy Cookoff, a solar cooker design and cooking contest; the Junior Solar Sprint, model-size solar car races; the High School Hydrogen Sprint and Hands-On-Hydrogen, model-size hydrogen-powered car races; and Energy Innovations, a full-scale solar electric design challenge.

The Bright House Solar Energy Cookoff challenged students to design and build solar cookers, and also cook a recipe of their own creation in their oven. Students’ creative dishes – such as O’Sol Meatballs and Kicken’ Swamp Cabbage – were judged on taste, ingredients and creativity.

The Junior Solar Sprint cars not only raced on the track, but were also judged on vehicle design, quality of craftsmanship, and innovation.

One of the most popular events is the Junior Solar Sprint (JSS), where students in grades 6-8 design, construct and race solar-powered vehicles. This hands-on competition encourages scientific know-how, creative thinking, experimentation and teamwork. Awards were given based on vehicle design, quality of craftsmanship, innovation and vehicle speed.

Hydrogen fuel cell cars gain speed every year.

The Hands-On-Hydrogen competition for middle school students, and the Hydrogen (H2) Sprint, a competition for high school students in grades 9-12, challenges students to design, build and race model-sized cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The competitions expose students to hydrogen’s potential as an alternative fuel source. The H2 Sprint provides graduates of the JSS program an opportunity to continue designing and building alternative-fueled vehicles. Student teams not only showcased their skill on the track, but they also demonstrated their understanding of hydrogen in a 10-minute presentation.

Students develop creative ways to utilize full-size photovoltaic panels in the Energy Innovations competition.

The Energy Innovations program is a full-scale solar electric design and marketing challenge for middle and high school students. Each team designed and constructed a product or artistic work fully powered by photovoltaic panels, more commonly known as solar electric panels. Additionally, teams created marketing pieces, such as brochures, fliers, and posters, to promote their innovative product and educate spectators.

The Bright House Solar Energy Cookoff doubled in size this year.

“Our event continues to grow each year,” said Susan Schleith, education coordinator at FSEC. “The number of solar cooking teams doubled compared to last year and we had more than 70 solar car entries – a new record. It’s gratifying to see more and more students excited about alternative energy.”

Competition results are listed below. Photos of the award winners are available on our Facebook page at FloridaSolarEnergyCenter, or visit www.fsec.ucf.edu/go/energywhiz for more event photos.

JUNIOR SOLAR SPRINT

6^th Grade Race

1^st Place –
Pine View School (car #62, Last Minute Candy Machine), Osprey

2^nd Place –
Gulf Coast Academy (car #37, Jamacia), Spring Hill

3^rd Place –
Hollywood Christian Academy (car #11, Geiko), Hollywood

7^th Grade Race

1^st Place –
McLane Middle School (car #15, Vibot 2), Brandon

2^nd Place –
Jupiter Middle School (car #28, Robin-Sun), Jupiter

3^rd Place –
Conway Middle School (car #68, Kramer’s Favorite), Orlando

8^th Grade Race

1^st Place –
McLane Middle School (car #14, Vibot 1), Brandon

2^nd Place –
McLane Middle School (car #16, Vibot 3), Brandon

3^rd Place –
Cornerstone Middle School, (car #50, S-Car-Go), Tallahassee

Most Innovative Vehicle Design (overall)

1^st Place –
Cocoa Beach Jr/Sr High School (car #13), 7^th grade team, Merritt Island

2^nd Place –
Hollywood Christian Academy (car #12), 7^th grade team, Hollywood

3^rd Place –
Einstein Montessori School (car #48), 8^th grade team, Cocoa

Best Vehicle Design (overall)

1^st Place –
McLane Middle School (car #14), 7^th grade team, Brandon

2^nd Place –
McLane Middle School (car #16), 7^th grade team, Brandon

3^rd Place –
Hollywood Christian Academy (car #12), 7^th grade team, Hollywood

HYDROGEN SPRINT

1^st Place Race –
Edgewood Jr/Sr High (Imperial High Inquisitors), Merritt Island

1^st Place Design –
Edgewood Jr/Sr High (Imperial High Inquisitors), Merritt Island

1^st Place Performance –
Edgewood Jr/Sr High (Race Girls), Merritt Island

Overall Ranking:

1^st Place –
Edgewood Jr/Sr High (Imperial High Inquisitors), Merritt Island

2^nd Place –
Edgewood Jr/Sr High (Race Girls), Merritt Island

3^rd Place –
Edgewood Jr/Sr High (H₂ Fuel Cows), Merritt Island

HANDS-ON-HYDROGEN

1^st Place Design –
Edgewood Jr/Sr High (car #2, The Hula), Merritt Island

1^st Place Overall –
McLain Middle (car #17, H₂ Go), Brandon
2^nd Place Overall –
Andrew Jackson Middle School (car #8, Fred), Titusville

3^rd Place Overall –
Trinity Prepatory (car #1, Brain the Train), Winter Park

BRIGHT HOUSE SOLAR COOKOFF

Elementary School Division

WOW! Award –
Hollywood Christian (#21, Metallic Core), Hollywood

1^st Place Cooker Design –
Fellsmere Elemen. (#18, The Baja Grillers), Fellsmere

2^nd Place Cooker Design –
Knight’s Elementary (#13, Whiz Kids), Plant City

3^rd Place Cooker Design –
Hollywood Christian (#21, Metallic Core), Hollywood

1^st Place Solar Chef –
Fellsmere Elemen. (#18, The Baja Grillers), Fellsmere

2^nd Place Solar Chef –
Fellsmere Elemen. (#17, Cocina del Sol), Fellsmere

3^rd Place Solar Chef –
Hollywood Christian (#21, Metallic Core), Hollywood

Middle School Division

WOW! Award –
Edgewood Jr/Sr High (#8, Panda Dynasty), Merritt Island

1^st Place Cooker Design –
Hidden Oaks Middle (#18, Alessa Grill), Palm City

2^nd Place Cooker Design –
Hidden Oaks Middle (#17, Sol Power), Palm City

3^rd Place Cooker Design –
Conway Middle (#25, Chef JLJ), Orlando

1^st Place Solar Chef –
Edgewood Jr/Sr High (#8, Panda Dynasty), Merritt Island

2^nd Place Solar Chef –
Hidden Oaks Middle (#18, Alessa Grill), Palm City

3^rd Place Solar Chef –
South Seminole Middle (#4, International Cooking Flare), Casselberry

Energy Innovations

Wow! Award (combined division) –
Gulf Coast Academy (NEXXAN Sun Glider), Spring Hill

Middle School

1^st Place Photovoltaic Design –
Gulf Coast Academy (NEXXAN Sun Glider), Spring Hill

2^nd Place Photovoltaic Design –
Edgewood Jr/Sr High (The Air Heads), Merritt Island

3^rd Place Photovoltaic Design –
Edgewood Jr/Sr High (The Dukes), Merritt Island
High School

1^st Place Photovoltaic Design –
Pasco High (Solar Tricycle), Dade City

2^nd Place Photovoltaic Design –
South Broward High (Sun Tiki), Hollywood

3^rd Place Photovoltaic Design –
Edgewood Jr/Sr High (The Happy Cows), Merritt Island

###

PR11-04

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The eighth-annual EnergyWhiz Olympics is day-long event showcasing student projects in alternative energy. Activities include the Junior Solar Sprint, Hydrogen Sprint, Energy Innovations and the Bright House Solar Energy Cook-off. The general public is invited to observe all activities.

• 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 fuel cell 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 4^th – 8^th, 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.

WHEN:

Saturday, May 1 starting at 9 a.m.

9:00 a.m.      Welcome – Auditorium, Dr. James Fenton, Director, FSEC

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

10:30 a.m.            Energy Innovations Judging

11:30 a.m.            Junior Solar Sprint Race Begins (Track Area 1)

12 noon      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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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

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• 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.

###

PR09-07

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This alternative energy competition, sponsored by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, highlights the science and engineering skills of middle school and high school students as they participate in activities related to real-world energy issues by racing solar and hydrogen-powered model cars.

“We were so impressed with the level of competition this year,” said Susan Schleith, project manager for the EnergyWhiz Olympics. “Students are beginning to take a real interest in alternative energy, which is promising for our future energy independence.”

There were four main competitions during Saturday’s event: the Junior Solar Sprint, the Hydrogen Sprint, Energy Innovations, and the second portion of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Science Bowl for Middle School Students in the Southeast region – the Hands-On-Hydrogen demonstration – which was sponsored by Bright House Networks.

The Energy Innovations program, a relatively new, real-world design competition, was developed to provide 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 photovoltaics (PV), also called solar electricity. PV panels for this competition were provided by BP. The 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 students to use scientific know-how, creative thinking, experimentation and teamwork. The double elimination race was briefly interrupted by light rain showers, which allowed time for teams participating in the race to tweak their vehicles before returning to the track. One of the fastest cars sped to victory down the 20-meter track in an impressive 5.6 seconds.

The Hydrogen Sprint, a similar competition for high school students in grades 9-12, allows students to design, build and race model-sized cars, but these vehicles are powered by hydrogen fuel cells. 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. Teams that participated in this event were required to give a 10-minute presentation on any aspect of hydrogen they learned about while creating their vehicle.

The Hands-On-Hydrogen competition was the last event of the day. Only the eight finalist teams from the academic portion of the regional DOE National Science Bowl, held previously on April 5, participated in this event. Each team was required to design, build and demonstrate a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to qualify to compete at the National Science Bowl. The top academic team, with their vehicle crossing the finish line, will represent Florida at the national competition on June 22-24, in Golden, Colo.

Lincoln Middle School’s team, from Gainesville, was ranked first out of the eight teams in the academic portion of the Science Bowl, but their vehicle did not complete the race. Second-ranked team Trinity Preparatory School, from Winter Springs, had the winning vehicle in the race, but did not have enough team members present at the event to qualify for nationals. The third-ranked Archimedean Middle

Conservatory team, from Miami, had all team members present, and their vehicle, the “Spartan Mobile”, crossed the finish line. The team from Archimedean Middle Conservatory, made up entirely of sixth-grade students, will travel to the national competition as the youngest team ever to represent Florida at this level, with two of its members being only 10 years old.

Below is the complete list of winners and their project names:

Junior Solar Sprint Winners

Sixth grade race:

1st Place: Tuskawilla Montessori Academy, Sponge Bob

2nd Place: Gulf Coast Academy of Science and Technology, Flamingos

3rd Place: Lewis Carroll Elementary, The Green Hornet

Seventh grade race:

1st Place: Kanapaha Middle School, Solar Sevens

2nd Place: McLane Middle School, Viking 3

3rd Place: Lockhart Middle School, TBFT

Eighth grade race:

1st Place: McLane Middle School, Viking 2

2nd Place: Tuskawilla Montessori Academy, Ironman

3rd Place: McLane Middle School, Viking 1

Design:

1st Place: Louis Carroll Elementary, The Green Hornet

2nd Place: Tuskawilla Montessori Academy, Sponge Bob

3rd Place: Ronald McNair Magnet School, Solar Eclipse

Innovative:

1st Place: T.E. Weightman Middle School, Solar Flare

2nd Place: Lincoln Middle School, XOXO

3rd Place: Odyssey Middle School, Destiny

Hydrogen Sprint Winners

Design:

1st Place: Lakewood High School, Off Duty

Presentation:

1st Place: Lakewood High School, Catastrophe

Race:

1st Place: Lakewood High School, Team Hydrogen

Overall:

1st Lakewood High School, Off Duty

2nd Lakewood High School, Team Hydrogen

3rd Lakewood High School, Catastrophe

Hands on Hydrogen Winners

Race:

1st Place: Trinity Preparatory School, Knight Rider

2nd Place: Andrew Jackson Middle School, Action Jackson

3rd Place: Archimedean Middle Conservatory, The Spartan Mobile

Design:

1st Place: Edgewood Jr./Sr. High School, Hydrobeast

2nd Place: Archimedean Middle Conservatory, The Spartan Mobile

3rd Place: Trinity Preparatory School, Knight Rider

Energy Innovations Winners

High School:

1st Place: Bayside High School, Portable Water Filtering Station

2nd Place: South Plantation High School, Solar Triton

3rd Place: Edgewood Jr./Sr. High School, Solar I

Middle School:

1st Place: Gulf Coast Academy of Science and Technology, Solar Streamers

2nd Place: Tuskawilla Montessori Academy, Solar Kiddie Cars

In upcoming years, project managers for the EnergyWhiz Olympics hope to expand thecompetition by developing a program for elementary students to design, build and race solar-powered boats. This year, model solar-powered boats were on display for students and observers to explore their different designs and how they work.

The EnergyWhiz Olympics is coordinated by staff at the Florida Solar Energy Center, but it could not be a successful event without the time and effort of the volunteers involved. Event volunteers included engineers from NASA, the United Space Alliance (USA), Canaveral Council of Technical Societies, Northrop Grumman, and the Society of Automotive Engineers. Other volunteers included representatives from the University of Central Florida, Brevard Community College, Bright House Networks, the National Energy Foundation, and Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), a research institute of the University of Central Florida, is the largest and most active state-supported renewable energy and efficiency institute in the United States. Created by the Florida Legislature in 1975, FSEC’s mission is to research energy technologies that enhance Florida’s and the nation’s economy and environment, and to educate the public, students and practitioners on the results of the research. Working in alternative fuels, hydrogen and fuel cells, photovoltaics, solar thermal technologies, high performance buildings, and education areas, FSEC’s 140-member staff helps provide Florida with a future of energy independence and environmental sustainability. FSEC is also responsible for testing and certification of solar systems sold in the state of Florida. For more information about FSEC, please visit www.floridaenergycenter.org, or send your questions to info@fsec.ucf.edu.

**For photos from the event please visit http://media.fsec.ucf.edu/photos/2274-EnergyWhiz-Olympics-2008/index.html

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The EnergyWhiz Olympics, sponsored by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, highlights the science and engineering skills of middle school and high school students as they participate in activities related to the real-world issue of energy.

“This event provides students with a great opportunity to develop and show off their engineering skills and their knowledge of emerging energy concepts,” said Susan Schleith, project manager for the EnergyWhiz Olympics. “Each year we have more schools participating, and it’s great to know that students are taking a real interest in alternative energy.”

The public is invited to watch these students compete in four different competitions throughout the day: the Junior Solar Sprint, the Hydrogen Sprint, Energy Innovations, and the second portion of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Science Bowl for middle school students in the Southeast region – the Hands-On-Hydrogen demonstration.

This year, elementary school students will also participate in the event by designing, building and demonstrating solar-powered boats.

After the solar boat demonstration, judging for Energy Innovations begins. This program is a real-world design competition developed to provide a full-scale solar electric design and marketing challenge for middle and high school students. Each team must design and construct a product or artistic work that is fully powered by photovoltaics (PV), also called solar electricity. PV panels for this competition are provided by BP. The teams must also create marketing pieces, such as brochures, fliers, or posters, to accompany their products. Winners will be chosen based on product ingenuity, design and marketing presentation.

Following Energy Innovations is the Junior Solar Sprint, a hands-on competition for middle school students in sixth through eighth grade that challenges them to use scientific know-how, creative thinking, experimentation and teamwork. Working in teams, the students design, build and race model-sized, solar-powered vehicles. Winners in this competition are chosen based on vehicle design, quality, innovation, and vehicle speed.

The next race is the Hydrogen Sprint, a similar competition for high school students in grades 9-12. This competition also allows students to design, build and race model-sized cars, but these vehicles are powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The Hydrogen Sprint was developed to expose students to hydrogen’s potential as an alternative fuel source and also give graduates of the Junior Solar Sprint program an opportunity to continue designing and building alternative-fueled vehicles. For this competition, teams are required to give a 10-minute presentation on any aspect of hydrogen they learned about while creating their vehicle.

Finally, the eight finalist teams from the academic portion of the regional DOE National Science Bowl, held previously on April 5, will participate in the Hands-On Hydrogen competition. Each team is required to design, build and demonstrate a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to qualify to compete at the National Science Bowl. The top academic team, with their vehicle crossing the finish line, will represent Florida at the national competition on June 22-24, in Golden, Colo.

Below is the day’s complete schedule:

8 a.m.: Check-in, race vehicle inspections, Energy Innovations set-up

9 a.m.: Welcoming presentation

9:30 a.m.: Technical judging for all race vehicles, Hydrogen Sprint presentations, Energy Innovations displayed, race vehicles displayed

11 a.m.: Solar boat demonstration

11:30 a.m.: Energy Innovations judging – Middle School

12 p.m.: Energy Innovations judging – High School, Junior Solar Sprint race begins

1 p.m.: Hydrogen Sprint race begins

2 p.m.: Hands-On-Hydrogen race begins

3:30 p.m.: Awards

The Florida Solar Energy Center is located at 1679 Clearlake Road in Cocoa, next to the University of Central Florida Brevard campus. For more information regarding the event, please contact Susan Schleith at (321) 638-1017, or Penny Hall at (321) 638-1018.

The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), a research institute of the University of Central Florida, is the largest and most active state-supported renewable energy and efficiency institute in the United States. Created by the Florida Legislature in 1975, FSEC’s mission is to research energy technologies that enhance Florida’s and the nation’s economy and environment, and to educate the public, students and practitioners on the results of the research. Working in alternative fuels, hydrogen and fuel cells, photovoltaics, solar thermal technologies, high performance buildings, and education areas, FSEC’s 140-member staff helps provide Florida with a future of energy independence and environmental sustainability. FSEC is also responsible for testing and certification of solar systems sold in the state of Florida. For more information about FSEC, please visit www.floridaenergycenter.org, or send your questions to info@fsec.ucf.edu.

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Each year, hundreds of students from elementary through high school take part in the competitions that feature alternative fuels in the Junior Solar Sprint, Middle School Science Bowl Hands-on Hydrogen Demonstration and High School Hydrogen Sprint. Susan Schleith, who directs these activities for FSEC, noted that there are 49 teams signed up for this year’s Junior Solar Sprint, eight returning teams for the Middle School Science Bowl Hands-on Hydrogen competition and 10 teams for the High School Hydrogen Sprint.

The first event, starting at 9 a.m., is the Junior Solar Sprint, a hands-on competition for middle school students in grades 6 through 8. Students work in teams to design, build and race model-size, solar-powered vehicles. Awards are given based on vehicle design, quality of craftsmanship, innovation and vehicle speed. Students begin getting their cars checked in and tested in the morning, and the races start at noon.

The Middle School Science Bowl Hands-On Hydrogen competition is the second part of the Southeast Regional Science Bowl. The top eight academic teams that scored highest in the earlier academic bowl held on April 1 were required to design and build a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to qualify for the National Science Bowl Competition. Those eight teams will demonstrate the performance of their vehicles at the EnergyWhiz Olympics. The top academic team with a qualifying vehicle will represent the Southeast in the National Competition to be held June 21-24 in Denver, Colo.

The High School Hydrogen Sprint is a hands-on competition for students in grades 9 through 12 and was created to expose students to the potential of hydrogen as an alternative fuel source and also as a follow-up program for those graduates of the Junior Solar Sprint program who wanted to continue designing and building alternative fuel vehicles. Students design, build and race hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. In addition to the hands-on portion of the competition, teams are required to give a 10-minute presentation on some aspect of hydrogen research.

“The EnergyWhiz Olympics is a day for students to show off their engineering skills and their knowledge of solar and hydrogen technology,” said Schleith. “If we expect to become more energy independent as a nation, then we need to not only invest in renewable energy technologies, but also in our students. After all, these young people are our future decision-makers.”

You can get more information on these activities at www.fsec.ucf.edu/ed/k12_std_act/ewhizolympics.htm. There is no charge for attending the Olympics and cheering on these students.

The Florida Solar Energy Center, a research institute of the University of Central Florida, is the largest and most active state-supported energy research center in the country. Current research activities include solar water and pool heating, solar electric and distributed generation systems, energy-efficient buildings, alternative transportation systems, hydrogen fuel, fuel cells and other energy areas. For more information about the center, visit www.fsec.ucf.edu or call the FSEC Public Affairs Office at (321) 638-1015.

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The day’s three featured events were the Junior Solar Sprint competition (JSS), the High School Hydrogen Sprint competition and the second phase of the Florida Middle School Science Bowl: the Hands-on Hydrogen Demonstration.

The Junior Solar Sprint is a hands-on competition for middle school students in grades 6-8. Students work in teams to design, build and race model-size, solar-powered vehicles. Awards are based on vehicle design, quality of craftsmanship, innovation and vehicle speed.

Winners of the 2005 Junior Solar Sprint competition were:

Most Innovative:
1st Place, Horizon Middle, Eagle 1
2nd Place, Gulf Coast Academy of Science and Technology, Sun Cruisers
3rd Place, Trace Academy, Lightnin’ Hopkins

Best Design:
1st Place, Tuskawilla Montessori Academy, Speed Demon
2nd Place, Northside Middle School, The Wedge
3rd Place, Lewis Carroll Elementary, The Force

Race:
Sixth Grade
1st Place, Gulf Coast Academy of Science and Technology, Sun Cruisers
2nd Place, Tuskawilla Montessori Academy, Speed Demon
3rd Place, Gulf Coast Academy of Science and Technology, B.D.O.

Seventh Grade
1st Place, Tuskawilla Montessori Academy, Banana Boat
2nd Place, T.E. Weightman, D & H Express
3rd Place, Kanapaha Middle, The Insects

Eighth Grade
1st Place, Tuskawilla Montessori Academy, Revenge of Sugar Loaf
2nd Place, Jackson Middle, The Black Lightning
3rd Place, Lockhart Middle, Chargers

The High School Hydrogen Sprint is a hands-on competition for high school students in grades 9-12. Students in this program design, build and race hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. This competition was created to expose students to the potential of hydrogen as an alternative fuel source and to give the graduates of the Junior Solar Sprint program an opportunity to continue designing and building alternative fuel vehicles. In addition to the hands-on phase of the competition, each team is required to give a 10-minute presentation on some aspect of hydrogen research.

The 2005 High School Hydrogen Sprint winners were:

Best Design:
1st Place, Melbourne High, White Lightning

Best Presentation:
1st Place, Titusville High, MC3

Race:
1st Place, Melbourne High, White Lightning

Best Overall:
1st Place Melbourne High, White Lightning
2nd Place, MAST Academy, Hydrocel
3rd Place, MAST Academy, Donut

The National Middle School Science Bowl, sponsored in part by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, features both a question-and-answer competition and a hands-on engineering event. The program is designed to encourage middle school students to excel in mathematics, science and engineering. The Florida Middle School Science Bowl, held at the Florida Solar Energy Center, is one of 23 sanctioned regional science bowl competitions held throughout the United States. The winning teams from each regional competition will be given the opportunity to compete in the National Science Bowl in June in Golden, Colorado.

The Hands-On Hydrogen Demonstration is the engineering component of Florida’s Science Bowl. The top eight teams from the academic portion of the Middle School Science Bowl held April 2 at FSEC received hydrogen fuel cells and the challenge to design and build a model sized moving vehicle. Demonstrations of these vehicles took place at the EnergyWhiz Olympics.

The 2005 Hands-on Hydrogen winners were:

1st Place, Lincoln Middle, Lincoln A
2nd Place, Lincoln Middle, Lincoln B
3rd Place, Southwest Middle, Supernovas

The EnergyWhiz Olympics is coordinated by staff at the Florida Solar Energy Center, but it is successful because of the time and efforts of the many volunteers involved. These included engineers from United Space Alliance, the Canaveral Council of Technical Societies, the Florida Solar Energy Center and the Society of Automotive Engineers. Other volunteers included representatives from Brevard Parks and Recreation, the Florida Solar Energy Center, the National Energy Foundation, Lockheed Martin and the Space Coast Science Education Alliance.

For more information on these exciting educational events at the Florida Solar Energy Center, visit http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/ed/activit/ewhizolympics.htm.

The Florida Solar Energy Center, a research institute of the University of Central Florida, is the largest and most active state-supported energy research center in the country. Current research activities include solar water and pool heating, solar electric and distributed generation systems, energy-efficient buildings, alternative transportation systems, hydrogen fuel, fuel cells and other energy areas. For more information about the center, visit www.fsec.ucf.edu or call the FSEC Public Information Office at (321) 638-1015.

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The day’s events will include the Junior Solar Sprint competition, the High School Hydrogen Sprint competition and the second portion of the Florida Middle School Science Bowl — the Hands-on Hydrogen Demonstration.

The Junior Solar Sprint is a hands-on competition for middle school students in grades 6-8. Students work in teams to design, build and race model-size, solar-powered vehicles. Awards are given based on vehicle design, quality of craftsmanship, innovation and vehicle speed.

The High School Hydrogen Sprint is a hands-on competition for high school students in grades 9-12. Students in this program design, build and race hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. This competition was created to expose students to the potential of hydrogen as an alternative fuel source and to give the graduates of the Junior Solar Sprint program an opportunity to continue designing and building alternative fuel vehicles. In addition to the hands-on portion of the competition, teams are required to give a 10-minute presentation on some aspect of hydrogen research.

The national Middle School Science Bowl, sponsored in part by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, features both a question and answer competition and a hands-on engineering event. The program is designed to encourage middle school students to excel in mathematics, science and engineering. The Florida Middle School Science Bowl held at the Florida Solar Energy Center is one of 23 sanctioned regional science bowl competitions held throughout the United States. The winning teams from each regional competition will be given the opportunity to
compete in the National Science Bowl in June in Golden, Colorado.

The Hands-On Hydrogen Demonstration is the engineering component of Florida’s Science Bowl. The top eight teams from the academic portion of the Middle School Science Bowl held April 2 at FSEC were given hydrogen fuel cells and were challenged to design and build a model sized moving vehicle. Demonstrations of these vehicles will take place at the EnergyWhiz Olympics.

After the morning hydrogen presentations and demonstrations, the Junior Solar Sprint and High School Hydrogen Sprint races will begin at noon.

For more information on these exciting educational events, visit http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/ed/activit/ewhizolympics.htm/.

The Florida Solar Energy Center, a research institute of the University of Central Florida, is the largest and most active state-supported energy research center in the country. Current research activities include solar water and pool heating, solar electric and distributed generation systems, energy-efficient buildings, alternative transportation systems, hydrogen fuel, fuel cells and other energy areas. For more information about the center, visit www.fsec.ucf.edu or call the FSEC Public Information Office at (321) 638-1015.

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