The Solar Electric Boat Project

Norm @ 2005 Solar Splash Although I continue to be involved with both the school's Solar Electric Boat Project, and the "Solar Splash" event; 2005 was the seventh and last year that I served as the primary advisor for the School's entry. I retired from the full time teaching faculty on July 1st, 2006. The project resumed during the 2007/2008 school year with Dr. Karen Yan as the primary advisor. I continue to be involved with the project as the secondary mechanical and technical advisor.

Solar Splash is sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Solar Splash is considered the World Championship, Solar Electric Boat Regatta. Students from around the world design and build solar electric boats to compete in this event. For the purpose of this competition, the boat has to be powered by direct and stored solar energy. Photovoltaic conversion of solar energy is limited to 480 watts measured at one sun condition. System voltage cannot exceed 53 VDC or AC RMS, and the source voltage cannot exceed 36 VDC from 1.0 kilowatt hour batteries. The boat has to fit into a box dimension of 6 meters in length, 2.4 meters in beam, and 1.5 meters in freeboard.

The competition lasts for four days, in which the solar electric craft will compete in a variety of point-earning events. These events are: a sprint race, an endurance race, a slalom race, a technical report, and a visual information display. Before competing the boat has to pass rigid safety inspections and qualify in maneuverability and buoyancy tests.

We had no team for the 2017 event. Went to Springfield just to check out the new venue. We have put together a team of women engineers who are in the process of converting a 16ft aluminum sport fishing boat into the Solar Splash competitive rules; while accepting our modified extended surface drive unit. Stay tuned.

Our 2015/16 boat took two years to build. The conversion of our balsa strip hull as well as the development of an extended surface drive unit simply took longer than expedcted, therefore two different groups worked on the project. The outcome was only moderately successful. The 2015/16 boat was fast, finishing third in the sprint finals and winning the first heat of the endurance event.

Our 2014 boat was a unique attempt to incorporate a conventional surf board hull design into the Solar splash rules. The 2014 Surf Board Boat competed in Dayton Ohio.

Check out both our 2013 and our 2012 boats, both of which competed at George Wyth Lake in Cedar Falls, IA - before the floods.

 We built two boats that competed on Lake Fayetteville at Fayetteville, AR. They were the 2009 solar boat, and the 2008 solar boat.

 You should check out our five (5) boats competing at Hoyte Lake in Buffalo, NY. The 2005 solar boat, the 2004 solar boat, the 2003 solar boat, the 2002 solar boat, and the 2001 solar boat.

 We also took a 2000 solar boat to Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans, LA.

 We started competing in Solar Splash with our 1999 solar boat on Lake Michigan at Milwaukee, WI.

Return to Norm Asper's web page.