Mikaylee LutzDivergentTopic #5Solar Powered VehiclesIntroduction:Modern society is moving into a new era where almost anything is possible. One idea currently in development involves solar-powered vehicles. Solar energy is energy derived from the sun and transformed into usable energy. Figure 1 illustrates how solar energy works. The sun emits light rays and solar panels attached to the top of a building collect infrared rays. Solar panels are made up of grids that capture the sun's rays; these rays are sent through tubes to a converter that will convert them into usable electricity. This electricity will make its way through various wires into the power grid or another source that holds solar energy. The good thing about this solar energy is that it can be stored and retained for days when there is no sunlight, so even when the sun is gone, there are still ways to use this clean energy source.Figure 1How It WorksNow that society is starting to understand the concept of cleaner energy, they are making more efforts to build these solar-powered cars. The North American Solar Challenge is an organization that is trying to advance our society in the field of solar energy. They have competitions for engineers who want to try their hand at solar-powered vehicles. There are teams of future engineers working together to create what could be the next “big thing”; these cars of course are different in shape and design. According to an article about the competition, they describe the cars as “…long, wide and very flat. This allows them to operate with minimal wind resistance while still having plenty of space for their solar cells.” These c...... paper halves ...... are a new idea that is coming to life and many people are trying to find ways to be more energy efficient. Although the company is still trying to grasp the concept of solar-powered vehicles, they are starting to realize that the air would be cleaner and better for the environment, so they are trying various ways of using solar energy, including boats, and gas-powered vehicles. cars. While this system is more expensive and still not perfect, it is much cleaner and would be more cost efficient in the long run. Bibliography http://www.energymatters.com.au/renewable-energy/solar-wind-trivia.php http /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_vehicle http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/vehicles /solar-powered-vehicle-possibility2.htmhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ business-16686260http://www.energyfarm.com.au/why-solar-energy-perth/how-does-it -work-solar-power/