{"id":29887,"date":"2013-07-23T06:45:07","date_gmt":"2013-07-23T11:45:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/?p=29887"},"modified":"2013-07-24T16:00:59","modified_gmt":"2013-07-24T21:00:59","slug":"powered-by-the-sun-but-off-to-a-slow-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/07\/23\/powered-by-the-sun-but-off-to-a-slow-start\/","title":{"rendered":"Powered by the Sun, But Off to a Slow Start"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-29887 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/05\/06\/stateimpact-texas-talks-energy-legislation-with-kxan\/screen-shot-2013-07-19-at-1-46-57-pm\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.46.57-PM-150x150.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-29907\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.46.57-PM-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.46.57-PM-32x32.png 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.46.57-PM-64x64.png 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.46.57-PM-96x96.png 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.46.57-PM-128x128.png 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.46.57-PM-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.46.57-PM-60x60.png 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-29907'>\n\t\t\t\tA solar car at the Formula 1 track in Austin\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/05\/06\/stateimpact-texas-talks-energy-legislation-with-kxan\/screen-shot-2013-07-19-at-1-45-51-pm\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.45.51-PM-150x150.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-29906\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.45.51-PM-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.45.51-PM-32x32.png 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.45.51-PM-64x64.png 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.45.51-PM-96x96.png 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.45.51-PM-128x128.png 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.45.51-PM-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.45.51-PM-60x60.png 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-29906'>\n\t\t\t\tTurn one, with its steep hill, was a big challenge for the racers\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/05\/06\/stateimpact-texas-talks-energy-legislation-with-kxan\/screen-shot-2013-07-19-at-1-48-02-pm\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.02-PM-150x150.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-29905\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.02-PM-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.02-PM-32x32.png 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.02-PM-64x64.png 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.02-PM-96x96.png 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.02-PM-128x128.png 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.02-PM-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.02-PM-60x60.png 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-29905'>\n\t\t\t\tThe shell of a solar racing car is lifted up after a car comes into the pit for repairs.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/05\/06\/stateimpact-texas-talks-energy-legislation-with-kxan\/screen-shot-2013-07-19-at-1-50-12-pm\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.50.12-PM-150x150.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-29904\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.50.12-PM-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.50.12-PM-32x32.png 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.50.12-PM-64x64.png 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.50.12-PM-96x96.png 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.50.12-PM-128x128.png 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.50.12-PM-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.50.12-PM-60x60.png 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-29904'>\n\t\t\t\tThe race isn&#8217;t about speed, it&#8217;s about endurance. Whichever team does the most laps in 3 days, wins.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/05\/06\/stateimpact-texas-talks-energy-legislation-with-kxan\/screen-shot-2013-07-19-at-1-48-29-pm\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.29-PM-150x150.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-29903\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.29-PM-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.29-PM-32x32.png 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.29-PM-64x64.png 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.29-PM-96x96.png 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.29-PM-128x128.png 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.29-PM-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.29-PM-60x60.png 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-29903'>\n\t\t\t\tTaking a look inside the car\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/05\/06\/stateimpact-texas-talks-energy-legislation-with-kxan\/screen-shot-2013-07-19-at-1-51-32-pm\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.51.32-PM-150x150.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.51.32-PM-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.51.32-PM-32x32.png 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.51.32-PM-64x64.png 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.51.32-PM-96x96.png 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.51.32-PM-128x128.png 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.51.32-PM-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.51.32-PM-60x60.png 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/05\/06\/stateimpact-texas-talks-energy-legislation-with-kxan\/screen-shot-2013-07-19-at-1-51-22-pm\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.51.22-PM-150x150.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-29900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.51.22-PM-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.51.22-PM-32x32.png 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.51.22-PM-64x64.png 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.51.22-PM-96x96.png 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.51.22-PM-128x128.png 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.51.22-PM-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.51.22-PM-60x60.png 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-29900'>\n\t\t\t\tIf the teams race too fast, the batteries will drain too quickly\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/05\/06\/stateimpact-texas-talks-energy-legislation-with-kxan\/screen-shot-2013-07-19-at-1-45-32-pm\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.45.32-PM-150x150.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-29899\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.45.32-PM-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.45.32-PM-32x32.png 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.45.32-PM-64x64.png 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.45.32-PM-96x96.png 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.45.32-PM-128x128.png 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.45.32-PM-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.45.32-PM-60x60.png 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-29899'>\n\t\t\t\tA solar car approaches the pit\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2013\/05\/06\/stateimpact-texas-talks-energy-legislation-with-kxan\/screen-shot-2013-07-19-at-1-48-51-pm\/'><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.51-PM-150x150.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-29898\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.51-PM-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.51-PM-32x32.png 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.51-PM-64x64.png 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.51-PM-96x96.png 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.51-PM-128x128.png 128w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.51-PM-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2013\/05\/Screen-Shot-2013-07-19-at-1.48.51-PM-60x60.png 60w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-29898'>\n\t\t\t\tThe battery, up close\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a sweltering Texas summer day in late June, and here at the Circuit of the Americas Formula 1 race track in Austin, the stands are empty. Just last fall, they were filled with fans witnessing the deafening roar of cars going upward of 200 miles an hour.<\/p>\n<p>But if you were to listen closely this summer day, you&#8217;d hear a barely audible zooming on the track. Peek down from the stands, and you&#8217;d see little pods zipping along the track at a brisk 45 miles an hour. They&#8217;re solar-powered cars, part of the annual <a href=\"http:\/\/americansolarchallenge.org\/about\/formula-sun-grand-prix\/\">Formula Sun Grand Prix<\/a> competition, where several teams of college engineering students race against each other, and the constant drain of batteries.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, a solar-powered yacht\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/green.blogs.nytimes.com\/2012\/05\/03\/around-the-world-on-solar-power\/\">sailed all the way around the globe for the first time<\/a>. A few weeks ago, a solar-powered plane <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wired.com\/autopia\/2013\/07\/solar-impulse-gallery\/\">completed a trip across the country<\/a>.\u00a0As oil prices and carbon emissions rise, could solar-powered transportation be a cheaper, cleaner way to get around?<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>The solar cars racing here in Austin are low, sleek, flat vehicles covered in solar panels that look like something out of the Jetsons. They&#8217;re not exactly known for speed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve calculated that it could go 80, maybe 88?&#8221; says Anne Hildebrand of Oregon State University as she straps on a helmet while getting ready to drive her team&#8217;s car for a shift. &#8220;But we can\u2019t do that, because it\u2019s not legal on any roads. So, we\u2019re kinda bound by the speed limits,&#8221; she says with a chuckle.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F102261984&amp;show_artwork=true\" height=\"166\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The Solar Grand Prix isn\u2019t about speed. It\u2019s an endurance race. The cars do laps all day, then charge batteries in the evening til the sun goes down. Whatever car does the most laps in three days using nothing but the sun, wins.<\/p>\n<p>In the Oregon State pit, there\u2019s plenty of clinking and clanking to get the car back on the track. Some parts inevitably break, others overheat. A few years ago, the<a href=\"http:\/\/groups.oregonstate.edu\/solar\/\">\u00a0team<\/a> actually had their solar car <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gazettetimes.com\/news\/local\/osu-student-gets-out-just-in-time\/article_803a17e6-afd8-11e0-bedd-001cc4c03286.html\">catch on fire<\/a>\u00a0as it was getting ready to drive in a parade. This year they&#8217;re back with a new car, aptly named <em>The Phoenix<\/em>. For the next three days, they&#8217;ll <a href=\"http:\/\/americansolarchallenge.org\/the-competion\/fsgp-2013\/\">drive it over 600 miles<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>With solar-powered transit making headlines, by land, air and sea, is it time to look at solar as a cheap, clean transit option for the future?<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6178\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 150px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-6178\" alt=\"Roger Duncan says that in the future, solar panels will be ubiquitous.\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/RDuncan-150x150.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/RDuncan-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/RDuncan-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/RDuncan-140x140.jpg 140w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/RDuncan-60x60.jpg 60w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/RDuncan-220x220.jpg 220w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/RDuncan-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/02\/RDuncan.jpg 576w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Photo courtesy of the Webber Group<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Roger Duncan says that in the future, solar panels will be ubiquitous.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re really not looking at solar as a mass transit option or commercial transportation option for large volumes of people,&#8221; says<b>\u00a0<\/b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.webberenergygroup.com\/people\/roger-duncan\/\">Roger Duncan<\/a>, a research associate at the University of Texas at Austin and former head of Austin&#8217;s energy utility.<\/p>\n<p>Duncan points out that solar-powered cars, planes and boats are really only good for a single passenger at this point. And the machinery is heavy \u2013 those planes and boats have lots of metal that takes a lot of power to move &#8212; it&#8217;s difficult to do that with solar energy directly. When they do move on solar, it\u2019s not very fast. Right now, solar power found on consumer vehicles only has enough juice a fan to keep the car cooler while it\u2019s parked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHowever, we need to understand that solar power occurs in many different forms,&#8221; Duncan says. &#8220;In fact, the electric vehicles that are starting to be purchased around the county \u2013 and I own a plug-in hybrid vehicle \u2013 can indeed be powered by solar.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Duncan sees a future where there are solar panels everywhere, feeding power into the electric grid and into lots of cars.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, I think in the future you will see solar become ubiquitous. It\u2019s going to be on car ports, and rooftops and walls. Just about everywhere.\u201d Almost any flat surface will ultimately do, Duncan says, even on roads.<\/p>\n<p>That optimism is shared by the newest U.S. Secretary of Energy, <a href=\"http:\/\/energy.gov\/contributors\/dr-ernest-moniz\">Dr. Ernest Moniz<\/a>. He was there when that solar power plane finished its long trek across the country recently. And he said at the time that we can expect to see solar shine in unexpected ways.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou know, we look back ten years, and we say, \u2018Wow, the world looks really different today,\u2019&#8221; Moniz said, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=8aYIvQwRQ6A\">pointing to the advent of smartphones as one example<\/a>. &#8220;But when we look ten years ahead, we think the world\u2019s gonna look the same. And it\u2019s not!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/X0WQt1KY9oQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Back at the racetrack, the students\u2019 goal is to design cars that don\u2019t need\u00a0charging\u00a0stations or electrical outlets. They want cars that run on sunshine alone. And they&#8217;re patient about it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt took 2 years to build the car,&#8221; says Loren Brown, a student on the Oregon State team. &#8220;Then we race it and fix things. Race it again. Change something. Race it &#8212; or not even race, really, just drive it in the parking lot til something breaks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Oregon State was the winning team here at the 2013 Formula Sun Grand Prix, going around the track 193 times over the three-day endurance test. Since the race first began in 2000, the cars have driven tens of thousands of miles, and they&#8217;re getting faster and lighter. Solar cars that used to have lead acid batteries weighing over three hundred pounds have been replaced by lithium batteries that weigh just a few dozen pounds.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t know if we&#8217;re doing anything new or groundbreaking, but I think we&#8217;re learning a lot,&#8221; Brown says. &#8220;That&#8217;s why I&#8217;m here. This is highly applicable knowledge to anything I do in the future.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>But each advance requires lots of painstaking effort, and\u00a0Duncan of the University of Texas cautions that solar panels will have to run a long race to become as cheap as fossil fuels.\u00a0For now at least, solar\u2019s likely to stay on the roof.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If you look historically, we&#8217;ve changed fuels in the past,&#8221; Duncan says. &#8220;We were on wood for\u00a0millennia. And then we got on fossil fuels &#8212; first coal, then oil, then gas. And now we&#8217;re starting to move towards wind and solar. But historically, these kinds of transitions have taken decades, if not centuries.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s a sweltering Texas summer day in late June, and here at the Circuit of the Americas Formula 1 race track in Austin, the stands are empty. Just last fall, they were filled with fans witnessing the deafening roar of cars going upward of 200 miles an hour. But if you were to listen closely [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[57],"tags":[16,30,145,32],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29887"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29887"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29911,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29887\/revisions\/29911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}