Eternal Sun supports Nuon Solar Team to improve their solar car performance
May 01, 2013
As a new sponsor, Eternal Sun is supporting the dutch ‘Nuon Solar Team’ with various special testing services to determine and improve the performance of the solar panels for their solar car. Solar cells behave differently under varying circumstances; heat in particular can result in a reduced power output. For the team it is very important to know exactly what the influences are, because every extra watt of power delivered by their solar cells can make the difference in winning the World Solar Challenge 2013 in Australia.
The World Solar Challenge is a 3000 km race held every two years in which teams from all around the world battle for the same goal: driving from Darwin in the north of Australia all the way down to Adelaide in the south in the fastest time possible, solely on the power of the sun. The idea behind the race is showing the world the possibilities of advanced technology and solar power and inspiring people to strive for a more sustainable future. Since their first participation in 2001, the Nuon Solar Team has won the race 4 times already, but saw the price just being taken by their Japanese rivals in the last two editions. This year however, nothing is left to chance to retake the first position.
Eternal Sun has been contacted by the NUNA7 team for precise measurements on their solar panels. (NUNA7 is the name of the 7th car of the Nuon Solar Team). The solar panels are of course the most critical elements of the car and they should perform well under all circumstances. By using the solar simulation equipment provided by Eternal Sun the team was able to simulate climatic conditions identical to those in ‘the Australian outback’. The steady-state lighting technology enabled continuous testing of different parameters over time. NUNA7’s Electronics Engineer Masoed Shakori emphasized that the tests were of great value and that the team will use the gained knowledge to improve the design of the car, which will bring them a step closer to recapturing the title.
The World Solar Challenge starts on the 6th of October and will take around 4 days for the fastest cars. Eternal Sun wishes the Nuon Solar Team all the best during this adventurous race!