A solar powered car is an electric car which is powered by the suns energy, which is obtained from solar panels on the surface of the vehicle. Photovoltaic cells convert the suns energy directly into electrical energy. Solar powered vehicles are not practical every day uses of transportation at present, but are mostly demonstration vehicles and engineering exercises, which are often sponsored by government agencies.

There are solar cars, which are not primarily solar energy, they combine technology, used in aerospace, bicycle, alternative energy and automotive industries. The solar car is severely limited by the amount of energy put into it by batteries and power from the sun. All solar cars that have been built have been used for the purpose of solar car races, because they are not yet capable to go on the road against normal cars.

Like a lot of race cars, the driver’s cockpit usually has room for just one person; however some of them contain room for a second passenger.

The cars contain a lot of the features that are available in normal cars such as brakes, accelerator, indicators, rear view mirrors, air con, and some times even cruise control.

Solar cars are usually fitted with gauges like in conventional cars. The driver’s main priority is to keep an eye on these gauges to spot possible problems. Solar powered cars can also have what is called wireless telemetry, and this allows the driver’s team to monitor the cars energy consumption, solar energy and other parameters and free the driver to concentrate on just driving.

The main thing to remember is that you cannot use solar panels on regular cars, they have to be electric.

The electrical system is the most important part of the cars system because it controls the power that comes in and out of the system. The battery pack in the car has the same use that a petrol tank has in a normal car in storing the power for future use. Solar cars use a range of batteries including lead acid batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel cadmium batteries, lithium ion batteries and lithium polymern batteries.

Solar race cars have complex data systems that monitor the whole electrical system while even the simplest cars have systems that provide information on battery voltage and current to the driver.

So these solar powered cars are very clever, and efficient.

Solar powered cars are designed to keep friction and weight to a minimum while still maintaining strength. Titanium and composites are normally used by designers to ensure a good strength-to-weight ratio.

Solar cars usually have three wheels but some can have four. Three wheeled cars usually have two at the front and one at the rear: the front wheels steer and the rear obviously follows behind. The four wheeled cars are set up just like normal cars. One day we may be learning to drive in these cars as they are increasing in technology every day and are definitely the most environmentally friendly.

Chris Woolfrey is the solar panel expert at EcoSwitch The environmental social network.

Anyone who has given more than two presentations can remember
sitting in a dankly lit office, behind a desk covered with
research material. A blank stare upon your face as you gaze at
the stack of information you so desperately want to pull into a
first rate presentation. You hope for some spark of genius, yet
all you get is frustration and probably a headache. You try
harder and harder to pull together the words, thoughts and
phrases to articulate your message, but your brain gives you
nothing to work with.

Well, fear no longer for those days are over. Today you are
going to learn a technique that will pull out those ideas into a
form that allows you to ’see’ your message in a natural flow.
Once your see your message, writing that speech or presentation
will come far easier than you ever expected.

I use this technique over and over again to create articles like
the one your are currently reading. The only downfall to this
brain web or inspiration web as I prefer to call it, is that I
often get too many ideas and have to cut many of them out of the
article I am writing. But that is ok, for that leaves me with
plenty of ideas for the next article or presentation, all ready
and waiting for me to call upon them in a moments notice. This
even works for those times when you have only minutes before you
have to stand before your audience.

Let’s spinning a web of ideas. The tools you will need to create
your web are a pen, paper, and a timing device. Larger paper is
better, but standard 8 x 11 paper will do as well. In the
center of this sheet of paper, write the topic of your
presentation and draw a circle around your words.

Now take a few deep breathes, and stand up, yes that’s right,
stand up. Hold your head high and look up at the ceiling. Throw
your shoulders back, and puff out your chest proudly. And smile
a really huge smile. The kind of smile you would see on the face
of a child before opening that wonderfully wrapped present on
their birthday or on Christmas morning. Feel those feelings, the
excitement and the thrill of finding what is within the brightly
colored wrapping. Breath fully and deeply while doing this. Open
your mind - remember that for now there are no rules, no
limitations. This is the time for no-holds-barred idea creation.

Now feeling those wonderfully energizing feelings set the timer
for five minutes. Sit down, grab your pen, and begin to write.
Write down every idea that comes to mind. Write fast; do not let
your pen stop moving. Abbreviate so that you can get as many
ideas down on your sheet as fast as possible. What you will find
is that you will be writing one idea and BANG the next one hits.
Then, before you finish writing that idea down, BANG another,
then another and so on. Write every thought that comes to mind,
filling up your paper. Don’t be concerned with spelling, grammar
or neatness. Make no judgements as you write during this
five-minute period. Only record the thoughts as they come to
you. Your end goal right now is a vast number of ideas and
thoughts.

While you are writing, circles each idea, and connect related
ideas/thoughts with lines or even arrows. Keep writing until the
timer goes off. Then relax, sit back and review your inspiration
web. Is it full of ideas? It should be. Did you make all the
connections? If not make those obvious connections now, again
using lines, arrows or whatever your are comfortable with.

Take a break, ten to fifteen minutes is a good period of time.
During this break get away from your idea sheet, and take your
mind off of it completely. Then come back and look at the page.
By now a few main idea threads will become obvious on your web
of lines or arrows. Identify three to five ideas (five maximum
for the best audience retention) that you want to cover.
Highlight or color-code them so they stand out on the page. Now
you have your topic and speaking points. Your lines and arrows
will guide you in your flow from one speaking point to another.
I guarantee by this point your speech is taking direction in
your head and you will be quite ready to begin putting it to
paper.

Use this inspiration web technique anytime that you need to give
birth to some creative ideas. This technique will work not only
on coming up with speaking points for your main topic; it will
work in problem solving, product enhancement and innovation as
well.

Think Successfully & Take Action. Tracy

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