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Renewable Energy Student Teams Energized Even on a Cloudy Day

Sherri Shields Awards, Energy News, Press Release May 9, 2013electric cars, EnergyWhiz Olympics, hydrogen, PV, solar cars, solar cooking, solar ovens 0 Comment

COCOA, May 09, 2013— With clouds in the sky and all eyes on the weather, more than 600 elementary, middle and high school students were energized on Saturday, May 4^th. Student teams—from Key West to as far away as North Carolina—gathered at UCF’s Florida Solar Energy Center on Saturday to demonstrate their Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) skills by competing at the 11^th annual EnergyWhiz Olympics.

Cocoa Mayor Henry Parrish III speaks into megaphone. — Cocoa Mayor Henry Parrish III welcomes crowd to EnergyWhiz Olympics.

The daylong event started out cloudy and posed challenges to the solar-dependent competitions, especially the Bright House Solar Energy Cook-off and the Junior Solar Sprint (solar-powered model car) teams. Although weather conditions were less than ideal, the sun managed to peek through the clouds and provide just enough energy for the teams to get through the solar competitions. And although Energy Innovations, a full-scale solar electric design and marketing challenge, depend on the sun for their complete product demonstration, teams also created marketing pieces—such as brochures, fliers, and posters—to promote their product.

Students Shine at EnergyWhiz Olympics

Sherri Shields Awards, Energy News May 15, 2009alternative fuel, alternative fuel workshop, BP, Bright House, car, competition, design, Energy Innovations, EnergyWhiz Olympics, H2, hydrogen, Hydrogen Sprint, JSS, Junior Solar Sprint, race, renewable energy, solar chef, solar cooker, solar cooking, Solar Cookoff, Solar Energy Cookoff, students, Susan Schleith, vehicle 5 Comments

Florida students have creative ideas for solving some of our world’s greatest energy challenges, and their renewable energy solutions were demonstrated at the EnergyWhiz Olympics – a series of day-long activities dedicated to students with an interest in alternative fuel technologies.

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.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Renewable Energy Solutions Demonstrated by Students at EnergyWhiz Olympics on Saturday, May 9

Sherri Shields Energy News, Media Advisory May 5, 2009Bright House, competition, energy, Energy Innovations, EnergyWhiz Olympics, environment, H2, hands-on, hydrogen, Hydrogen Sprint, Junior Solar Sprint, K-12, photovolatics, PV, races, solar, solar cookers, solar cooking, Solar Energy Cook-off, sprint, students 3 Comments

WHAT:
The seventh-annual EnergyWhiz Olympics is a series of day-long activities dedicated to students with an interest in alternative fuels. It is composed of the Junior Solar Sprint, Hydrogen Sprint, Energy Innovations and the new Bright House Solar Energy Cook-off.

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

Teachers Learn A Life-Saving Skill: How to Build a Solar Cooker

Sherri Shields Energy News April 1, 2009Bright House, developing countries, EnergyWhiz Olympics, solar cooker, solar cooking, Solar Energy Cook-off, teachers, workshop 3 Comments

What does an umbrella, inner tube and mylar blanket have in common? They are all components of innovative solar cooker designs.

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.
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