Free State Education MEC Tate Makgoe has applauded the Central University of Technology (CUT) for building its second solar-powered vehicle as it gears to participate in the Sasol Solar Challenge next month, saying renewable energy is key to meeting the country’s growing demand for power.
He said the exponential growth recorded in cities across the country has put a huge strain on Eskom as it battles to meet demand for electricity.
“I think the most important thing is that, looking ahead, renewable energy will take the centre stage,” said Makgoe during last Friday’s launch of the CUT solar vehicle called Ntsu, which means in eagle in Sesotho.
Makgoe said the fact that households are now allowed to install solar for their own use and even supply the national grid is an indication that the country is taking renewable energy seriously.
“I think we are in the game now. Solar . . . renewable energy, wind energy and all other types of energy are the way forward . . . Eskom cannot be a monopoly anymore.
“The future indeed is digital, the future indeed is IT (information technology), the future indeed is engineering, the future indeed is mathematics,” said the MEC as he urged the university to produce students who are ready to start their businesses and not focus on looking for jobs after graduating.
The 14-member team behind the solar-powered vehicle comprises staff, alumni and current students boasting skills in computer, electronic, electrical and mechanical engineering.
The new vehicle incorporates 3D-printing of custom components, electronics and many other features.
Team leader Professor Nicolaas Luwes said he was confident of this year’s edition of the race as he believes his team learnt a lot from their first race and will be more competitive this time round.
“The new car design looks like the head of an eagle and we’re hoping it will fly . . . or drive like an eagle,” said Luwes.
“An eagle can soar higher than other birds, soaring with almost no energy lost. The vehicle can reach a speed of 140km/hr but we don’t have to reach that. The race is not about speed, but how much distance you can cover,” he explained.
The eight-day challenge, set for September 9-16, will travel from Johannesburg to Cape Town over a distance of about 2 300km.
It will make its first stop in the Free State – passing through six towns in the province including Kronstaad, Sasolburg, Bloemfontein and Gariep Dam.
In 2018, the CUT team failed to complete the race after experiencing a major breakdown but the team won the community engagement award for the demonstration of technologies to the school learners along the route.
According to the main sponsor, Sasol, the university loaded a 360-degree footage shot from their solar car onto virtual reality headsets which young kids from towns along the route used to immerse themselves in the driving experience.
Now in its 14th year, the event takes place every two years.
Teams take on the challenge to develop, build and drive solar-powered cars, with the ultimate goal of covering the most distance without using a drop of fuel.
This year’s challenge will incorporate special stages, including half and full blind stages, where information relating to the route will be withheld until the night before teams take on the road, forcing them to strategise last minute.
The event brings together university and high school teams as well as private engineers who have manufactured fully functioning, roadworthy solar-powered cars.
It runs on public roads, sharing space with trucks and regular traffic, and passes through multiple small towns. – Staff Reporter