May 19, 2011 - Claremont, Calif. -

David Fong (Occidental College alumnus) and HMC engineering student Abby Korth '13 inspect the Los Osos High School solar boat before it sets sail.

Solar Cup 2011 volunteers Michael Loy '13, James Anderson '13, Abby Korth '13, David Fong (Occidental) and technical advisor and HMC engineering Professor Adrian Hightower.

After seven months of coaching students from 46 Southland high schools to build and equip a 16-foot, single-seat canoe powered by the sun, Harvey Mudd College Professor Adrian Hightower and four HMC engineering students watched their efforts come to fruition May 13-15 during the Solar Cup competition at Lake Skinner sponsored by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and local water agencies.

Budding engineers completed a series of qualifying events Friday, then attached solar-collection panels to their boats on Saturday for two, 90-minute, 1.2-kilometer endurance races. On Sunday the heavy solar-collection panels were removed, and using solar energy stored in batteries, teams raced down a 200-meter stretch—like drag racing on water. A veteran team from Savanna High School in Anaheim and a rookie team from Oak Park High School in Oak Park took top honors for most points overall. There were also awards for hottest-looking boat, sportsmanship, teamwork, the endurance race and the sprint race.

Mudders were among the many volunteers who supported the competitors’ efforts. Methropolitan staff and a technical advisory team from Occidental and Harvey Mudd colleges had been working since Nov. 6 to support the 40 teams from Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties. Students and their advisors joined with Metropolitan’s member agencies who sponsored the teams, providing $2,000-$4,000. Participants were then charged with equipping their crafts with solar panels, batteries, steering and related systems. MWD provided teams with identical kits of marine-grade plywood to build the hull, then the teams completed their boats with varying degrees of sophistication: veteran teams were able to use prior equipment and try to improve its performance; rookie teams purchased equipment, learned how to install and optimize it. In addition to building and equipping a boat and completing periodic technical reports, teams had to create a public service announcement and a water activity for school children.

HMC students Jin-Hwa Chun '12, James Anderson '13, Michael Loy '13 and Abby Korth '13 worked with the Solar Cup teams beginning with technical workshops in November and December in Los Angeles, one on the HMC campus in January and a preliminary inspection in March. At the competition May 13-15 at Lake Skinner, Anderson, Loy and Korth ensured that boats met rules and were safe and seaworthy.

“It’s an awesome opportunity for high school kids and I’m excited that I was able to help out,” said Korth. “I wish I could have done something like this in high school. It exposes students to engineering, which I honestly had no idea about before coming to HMC.”

David Fong, an Occidental College alumnus and UCLA graduate student, said, “When I was in high school, I worked a little in wood shop, and in one of my classes I built a hydraulic arm, but this is larger scale, more involved. When the teachers and parents let their students build the boats themselves, the students really learn a lot. There are a lot of really enthusiastic kids here.”

Hightower, assistant professor of engineering, has been technical advisor for Solar Cup since 2007 when he was an assistant professor at Occidental College.  He said one of the best aspects of the competition this year was working with HMC students, who helped prepare the teams to do the mechanical, electrical and environmental aspects of the program. “The HMC students brought a new engineering organization component to the program as well as a new environmental emphasis.”

He added that HMC's participation in the Solar Cup coincides well with the new five-college Environmental Analysis Program. Hightower is working to align the goals of the program and the resources available at HMC. With the number of students majoring in environmental analysis increasing, the collaborative Environmental Analysis Program aims to meet the needs of today's students.

Hightower, who studies and designs nano-structured fuel cells and rechargeable batteries, has done extensive research and practical work in renewable energy technology and community-based renewable energy education in Los Angeles and West Africa. He is a graduate of Caltech (engineering and applied science), where he also received a Ph.D. in materials science. 


Solar Cup results