Racing with the Sun: Sikat solar car thrives in summer heat

MANILA, Philippines - While most students gear up for vacation this summer, a team of students and teachers of the mechanical and the electronics and communications engineering department at the De La Salle University take advantage of the scorching heat to test run Sikat, the country’s second solar-powered car.

Developed in partnership with the Philippine Solar Car Society, Inc. (PSCS), Sikat is the worthy successor and improved version of Sinag, the first ever solar-powered car in the Philippines. Launched in December last year, Sikat recently concluded a historic nationwide run, stopping at key universities and schools in Cebu, Bacolod, and Iloilo City in the Visayas, as well as Batangas, Angeles City, San Fernando and Laoag in Luzon.

“The series of provincial shows aimed to make more Filipinos aware of our ingenuity, our will to lead, our capability for technology, and our commitment to the use of clean, renewable energy,” said Ramon Agustines, PSCS chairman. “We believe the best way to promote the benefits of the solar energy is by bringing them closer to the public and allowing them to know more about the solar car project more intimately.” 

Preparations are underway to make history one more time with Sikat, when it competes in the 2011 World Solar Challenge – a grueling 3,000-kilometer race across the Australian Outback that pits some of the most advanced solar-powered cars across the globe against each other.

The world’s first solar car

Held every two years, the World Solar Challenge has more than a 20-year history spanning nine races. The inaugural race was held in 1987, posing the ultimate challenge of designing and building a car capable of traveling across the Australian Continent on the power of sunlight.

Danish-born adventurer Hans Thostrup created the World Solar Challenge. After being the first person to circumnavigate the Australian continent in a 16-foot (4.9 m) open boat, he became aware of the necessity to explore sustainable energy as a replacement for the limited available fossil fuel, and participated in various competitions with fuel saving cars and trucks. Thostrup designed the world’s first solar car, called “Quiet Achiever,” which traversed the 4,052-km distance between Sydney and Perth in 20 days. This was the precursor of the World Solar Challenge, which invites bright young engineers and scientists from around the world to pursue the ideals of sustainable transport.

The Philippines made its historical debut in the race with its entry, Sinag, in 2007. It finished a respectable 11th place over-all in a field of 40 entries worldwide. The success of the Sinag in the solar car-racing world was an example of how the Philippines can be at par with the rest of the world in meeting a challenge which requires superior technology and skill.

“With Sikat, there’s nothing to go but up for a better spot in the 2011 race, which is why we came up with a lighter, sleeker and faster solar car. However, we also thought, before vying for yet another success in the worldwide challenge, why not bring the technology closer to home first? Before showcasing the Filipinos’ technological capability to the whole world, why not present it to our own country first?,” said Dean Gaspillo, technical team head of DLSU-Manila.

Gaspillo said the country’s geographical location, being close to the equator, translates to a huge potential for tapping solar technology, one of the cleanest known methods of energy production. According to DOE, the Philippines is Southeast Asia’s largest solar manufacturing hub with a current annual capacity of 400 MW of solar cells.

Rising up to the challenge

With the abundance of solar energy in the Philippines, Agustines said PSCS believes solar energy can be the fuel of choice for transportation in the future. “However, despite our country’s huge potential, solar power remains to be an alien concept with most Filipinos. Sikat aims to be a driving force, literally, to generate awareness among the youth and the general public aware of the benefits of solar technology, and our potential to lead in it, as a nation.”

Through this year’s efforts, especially the road show, PSCS used Sikat to show just how practical solar-powered cars can be. Spectators on the provincial exhibits learned how solar cars such as Sikat use photovoltaic cells (PVC), found in solar panels, which enables the panels to convert the sun’s energy into electricity that can be used to run the car.

“Overall, solar energy has many benefits. It is a limitless, renewable resource, even though we only have a window of time when we can collect it. This energy does not pollute the air, and is a versatile way to heat water and power different technologies. The solar car also works silently, so it does not add to the noise pollution already on the road. Most importantly, the energy is free and you don’t have a dependence on foreign oil,” said Jack Catalan, DLSU-Manila professor, assistant technical head and electrical team head of Sikat.

Solar-powered cars have come a long way since the creation of the first solar cell in 1883. While improvements are being made to solar energy systems every year, it’s still a long road ahead before these cars become commercially viable for the public to drive on the highway.

To showcase the capability of a solar-powered car, Sikat underwent a series of test runs while embarking on the nationwide tour. Standing at 1.1 meters, the solar car cruised 112km/hour at distance of 40 kms. from Clark South SCTEX toll to Tarlac exit. This is faster than its predecessor, Sinag, since it was built with less air resistance. Each solar cell on Sikat’s surface can generate a peak power of 3.3 watts.

Sikat is set to undergo more test runs in preparation for the World Solar Challenge. Partnering with the PSCS are their sponsors, De La Salle University, First Gen Corporation, Ford Motor Company Philippines, Motolite, Pilipinas Shell and Sunpower.

“We believe that with Sikat’s historic nationwide tour, we have successfully highlighted the rich potential for solar energy applications in the Philippines to our own countrymen. Sikat is not only set to generate great pride for the Philippines, and our inherent technical talent – it is a positive proof that we as a nation can stand alongside the rest of the world in developing solar power technology. In 2011, we can say, more than ever, that we are undertaking the global solar challenge as a nation, taking us one step closer to finally harnessing the full power of the sun,” Agustines said.