Solar model car competition promotes renewable energies

Around six hundred students have participated in the “Solar Car & Capacitance Model Car Races and Windmill Rotor Design Competition.” The event is organized by the Companhia de Electricidade de Macau (CEM) in collaboration with several local associations, with the support of Hong Kong Technology & Renewable Energy Events (HK Tree), and was held at the Coloane Power Station. Its primary aim is to increase the students’ awareness of renewable energies.
The students from Forms 1 to 6 and teachers lined up in 99 teams, representing 23 schools in the three competitions. As a novelty, this time the event added a new competition element, the “Windmill Rotor Design Competition.”
Students participating in the “Solar & Capacitance Model Car Races” were requested to design and make their own model cars. Meanwhile in the new “Windmill Rotor Design Competition,” they had to design and build windmill-style blades out of disposable plastic water bottles, which would be installed in a wind generator in order to produce energy.
For this competition, set goals included “enhancing students’ consciousness and recognition of the usage of renewable energy, as well as contributing to improve their scientific and technical knowledge,” as explained in the award ceremony opening speech delivered by the CEM Principal Advisor to the Executive Committee, Mr Benjamin Yue.
After multiple rounds of fierce competition, the final results were announced.
The prize for “The Best Model Car Design Award” was awarded to a team from Colégio Diocesano de São José 5. “The Overall Fastest Lap Award” went to Colégio de Santa Rosa de Lima – Chinese Section. The “CEM Solar Model Car Race” was awarded to Sacred Heart Canossian College – Chinese.
The top three place winners in both the “Solar Model Car Race” and “Capacitance Model Car Race” will have the chance to represent Macau in the “Hong Kong Tree 2015” competition, to be held at the HK Science & Technology Parks on October 31. RM