UJ Solar team wins technology and innovation award
AUCKLAND PARK - University of Johannesburg's Solar team scooped the Technology and Innovation Award at the 2014 Sasol Solar challenge.
The University of Johannesburg’S (UJ) Solar Team was awarded the Technology and Innovation Award at the end of the 2014 Sasol Solar Challenge in Cape Town. Their vehicle, Ilanga II (Zulu word for SUN), was admired by observers and fellow participants as one of the best looking cars in the challenge and received special recognition for its innovative use of advanced technology. The solar cells, used in the array of Ilanga II are commercial cells imported from Germany for space grade applications. The car has Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) solar panels, which are the same type of panels as those used on the Mars Rovers. Due to the efficiency of these panels, the team could build one of the smallest solar vehicles to participate in this solar challenge. At 185kg, Ilanga II was the smallest and lightest vehicle that participated in the challenge – it was also the first time that a GaAs array has been raced in a solar challenge.
The vehicle also contains a full telemetry system, which allows the team member responsible for the race strategy and optimisation of the vehicle to monitor the power output of the solar panels and the available power in the battery pack remotely.
Sasol Solar Challenge Race Convenor Winstone Jordaan praised the UJ Solar team for their advanced technology and their willingness to show other teams and interested people how this technology works. “This is what will take us forward.”
The technology and innovation award was partly voted for by other participating teams – it is the second time the UJ Solar team was recognised for their innovation. They also received the innovation award in the 2012 Sasol Solar Challenge.
The solar car project is the flagship project of the UJ Energy Movement, a programme promoting research, education and industry participation on alternative energy issues at UJ in collaboration with Resolution Circle (a UJ-owned research, development and training initiative).
Project manager Warren Hurter stated, “We have learned a lot during this year’s race, testing our technology and we are excited to start to work on improvements to our vehicle and planning for the next race.”
The UJ Solar team now wants to move forward to represent South Africa in the World Solar Challenge in Australia in 2015.
