Jackson EMC contributes Solar Sprinters for Earth Day

JEFFERSON - Students in eight middle schools in the Jackson Electric Membership Corporation service area will receive Junior Solar Sprint car kits to celebrate Earth Day Wednesday.

Jackson EMC officials say Junior Solar Sprint (JSS) is a hands-on, disciplinary project aimed to motivate students to design and build small, solar-powered model cars.

"Our goal is to increase subject knowledge by using science know-how, creative thinking and experimentation within the schools, thereby encouraging students to pursue careers in the fields of science, math and engineering," says Kay Parks, Jackson EMC's community relations representative.

The schools participating in the Junior Solar Sprint program include: East Jackson Middle School; Kings Bridge Middle School, Jackson County; North Hall Middle School; West Hall Middle School; Madison County Middle School; Banks County Middle School; Sweetwater Middle School, Gwinnett County; and Richard Hull Middle School, Gwinnett County.

With this project, today's youth experiment with scientific and social principles as they learn about vehicle design, fuel options, environmental impacts and energy usage, in an atmosphere that's fun and exciting, as they make decisions that may shape tomorrow's transportation system.

Each Junior Solar Sprint team is required to build and design a model car no larger than 30 cm x 60 cm x 30 cm (the size similar to a model car kit). The cars must be powered by sunlight using a solar photovoltaic cell that converts the sun's energy into electricity.

Although the cell and a motor are provided, students must consider such critical factors as aerodynamic drag, rolling resistance, weight, and drive train when designing their cars for speed and reliability.

The schools will have an internal race prior to a fall regional race that will take place when students return to school for the 2009-2010 school year. The program was developed by Green Power EMC and is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Midwest Research Institute (MRI) of Kansas City, MO and managed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and endorsed by the National Science Teachers Association.

For additional information regarding Jackson EMC's renewable energy or solar related opportunities, please visit our website at www.jacksonemc.com/solar or see Jackson EMC's FaceBook page for youth programs.