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The Victorian Model Solar Vehicle Challenge is a competition held annually at Scienceworks in
Victorian MSV Challenge Website
Croydon West Primary School Sheridan Challenge Winners of 2007
Solarfreaks – Model Solar Cars
Solar panel supplier
{{Photovoltaics Culture of Melbourne Photovoltaics
The Victorian Model Solar Vehicle Challenge is a competition held annually at Scienceworks in Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
, Australia. The challenge gives school age children a chance to design and build a car or boat, and more recently a Mars Rover, that operates solely on solar power
Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovolta ...
. It is run by MSV, a voluntary organisation created to administer the challenge.
History
A solar car challenge for schools' was first thought of in 1987 during the first World Solar Challenge. Everyone who attended—car makers, staff and students from universities and secondary schools—believed it to be a great experience. Two men, Paul Wellington (teacher at Chisholm Institute of Technology, part of Monash University), and Ted Mellor (Warragul Technical School), felt that such an opportunity should be available to a wider range of students, because at the time, the high cost of making a life-size solar car meant that only rich schools could afford it. Thus, it was decided that a competition for model solar cars would be created; model cars being much cheaper and less time-consuming to make than life-size cars, but still requiring the same amount of thought and skill. Paul and Ted assembled a team of science and technology teachers, curriculum developers, sponsors, representatives and former World Solar Challenge team members (today known as MSV), and with the financial support of Energy Victoria, they established a Model Solar Car Challenge in Victoria. The first race was run in May 1990, at the Exhibition Buildings in Melbourne.Sponsors
The Sponsors of the event past and present are: *Deakin University
Deakin University is a public university in Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1974, the university was named after Alfred Deakin, the second Prime Minister of Australia.
Its main campuses are in Melbourne's Burwood suburb, Geelong Waurn Ponds, ...
*Intelematics
*Swinburne University of Technology
Swinburne University of Technology (often simply called Swinburne) is a public research university based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1908 as the Eastern Suburbs Technical College by George Swinburne to serve those without acce ...
* Scienceworks Museum, who have hosted the event since 1991
* City of Boroondara
*Engineers Australia
Engineers Australia (EA) is an Australian professional body and not-for-profit organisation whose purpose is to advance the science and practice of engineering for the benefit of the community. Engineers Australia is Australia's recognized org ...
*Rotary Club
Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, prof ...
of Balwyn
Additional information
* Box Hill High School#Model Solar CarExternal links
Victorian MSV Challenge Website
Croydon West Primary School Sheridan Challenge Winners of 2007
Solarfreaks – Model Solar Cars
Solar panel supplier
{{Photovoltaics Culture of Melbourne Photovoltaics