Queen's solar car wins Silicon Valley support for upcoming world challenge
Friday August 06, 1999
The US Silicon Valley-based SunPower Corp. an international leader in solar technology and partner with NASA in achieving a world record for propeller-driven flight at 80,000 feet, has thrown its support behind Queen's solar car.
After the Queen's team exceeded even its own expectations by placing second in this summer's Sunrayce 99, North America's biggest solar car championship, the California company decided to back the team's quest to become the world's best solar car. Queen's will be the top North American team competing in Australia.
Sunpower Corp, with only one solar array to back one Australian entry, has selected Queen's above all other North American entries, to showcase their technology. The solar cells are now being installed on Radiance at breakneck speed for its debut at the October world series of solar racing, Australia's triennial World Solar Challenge
"We were extremely impressed by the performance at Sunrayce and by the Queen's team itself," says Bobby Ram, director of sales and marketing for SunPower Corp. "The Queen's team clearly demonstrated outstanding talent, enthusiasm and a very can-do attitude. We were so impressed that this convinced us to do whatever we could to work with them and support them. We believe our high efficiency solar cells will provide them with a great advantage."
Tom Harris, Dean of Applied Science at Queen's, says this vote of confidence from a company like SunPower, speaks loudly about the true extent of what the Queen's solar team has achieved to date and about their potential success in Australia.
"Clearly, we have what it takes to compete with the best students and the best engineers in the world. At this level, we are competing with international entries whose financial resources far exceed ours. Still, we have shown that expertise, creativity and determination are winning qualities."
Matt Dawson, project manager for the Queen's University Solar Team Vehicle team, is convinced Radiance and his team have what it takes to compete with the best futuristic technology the world has to offer.
"We are not only representing Queen's and Kingston, we are representing Canada. This is an unbelievable opportunity to highlight for the world the level of advanced technology and engineering we are working with."
Members of Queen's solar vehicle team are now working around the clock to install the new solar cell technology and have Radiance painted and packed for shipment to Australia by an August 18 deadline for the October race.
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Spokespersons:
Alexis Tremblay, Business Manager, Queen's University Solar Vehicle Team, Queen's University, (613) 533-6682
Matt Dawson, Project Manager, Queen's University Solar Vehicle Team, Queen's University, (613) 533-6682
Tom Harris, Dean, Faculty of Applied Sciences, (613) 533 2056
Bobby Ram, Director of Sales and Marketing, SunPower Corp, (408) 991-0919
Contacts:
Anne Kershaw, Media Coordinator, Dept. of University Communications, (613) 533-6000, ext. 74038 or Nancy Marrello, Media Assistant at ext. 74040.
Attention broadcasters: Queen's now has facilities to provide broadcast quality audio and video feeds. For television producers, we can provide a live, real-time double ender from Kingston via fibre optic cable. Please call for details.
