Southland High School Students to Race with the Sun at Solar Cup

Metropolitan Water DistrictÔÇÖs solar-powered boat competition gives
students hands-on learning opportunities in conservation, engineering,
alternative energy

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Students from 38 high schools across Southern California will show off
their boat-building and racing skills this weekend as they compete in
Metropolitan Water DistrictÔÇÖs 16th annual Solar
CupÔäó.

The action-packed weekend marks the culmination of a seven-month program
during which students used lessons in engineering and alternative energy
to design and build one-person, solar-powered boats.

The more than 600 students participating in this yearÔÇÖs competition will
face off in sprint and endurance races at MetropolitanÔÇÖs Lake Skinner in
southwest Riverside CountyÔÇÖs Temecula Valley beginning this Friday, May
18, and concluding Sunday, May 20.

Solar Cup is the nationÔÇÖs largest solar-powered boating competition,
featuring students from Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino
and San Diego counties. The program gives students the opportunity to
put to practical use their math and science skills and provides them
additional hands-on lessons in water resources, alternative energy
development and sustainability.

ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖre creating future engineers, water resource managers and
conservationists. WeÔÇÖre helping build MetropolitanÔÇÖs future workforce,ÔÇØ
said Solar Cup coordinator Julie Kalbacher, a state-certified teacher
with MetropolitanÔÇÖs education programs.

ÔÇ£But even more importantly, weÔÇÖre getting students thinking on their
feet, working in teams to find practical solutions. Those are valuable
skills in any field,ÔÇØ she added.

To build their 16-foot, single-seat boats, veteran teams are given
$2,500 and rookie teams are given $4,000, through sponsorships from
MetropolitanÔÇÖs member agencies. Students spent afternoons and weekends
for months building the boats, deciding which solar panels, batteries,
motors, propellers and other components to buy for their boats, and then
figuring out how to arrange those componentsÔÇöall with the goal of
creating the fastest boat possible. Boats are limited to 320 watts in
their solar panels and face a handful of other technical restrictions,
but there is a lot of flexibility in how they can be built, Kalbacher
said.

ÔÇ£There is not one right way to do this. The answer requires creative and
critical thinking. ThatÔÇÖs the kind of challenge these kids will face in
the real world,ÔÇØ she said.

ÔÇ£And sometimes once teams get to Lake Skinner and get their boats out on
the water, they find themselves facing last-minute problems as the
competition unfoldsÔÇöa loose wire, the boat taking on unexpected
waterÔÇöand they have to troubleshoot while the pressure is on,ÔÇØ Kalbacher
added.

But before they hit the water, teams are put through a series of
qualifying events by Metropolitan and a technical advisory team from
Occidental College to ensure boats meet the programÔÇÖs requirements and
are safe and seaworthy.

On Friday, May 18, the boats will be qualified and tested on Lake
Skinner. The competition begins Saturday, May 19, when the teams face
off in two 90-minute endurance heats around a 1.6-kilometer course and
continues Sunday, May 20, with 200-meter sprint races in which the boats
are powered by solar energy stored in batteries.

Solar Cup concludes with an awards ceremony on Sunday afternoon.
Trophies are awarded in veteran and rookie divisions for teams with the
highest points, as well as to teams honored for ÔÇ£Hottest-Looking Boat,ÔÇØ
teamwork and sportsmanship. Among the 38 teams in this yearÔÇÖs Solar Cup
are five schools participating for the first time. They will compete in
a rookie division.

As part of the program, the teams also created social media campaigns on
the importance of water conservation. Teams produced Snapchat-based
videos and photo campaigns under the theme, ÔÇ£Water conservation: itÔÇÖs
not about the weather, itÔÇÖs about forever.ÔÇØ Along with racing results,
teams earn points from these public service messages, as well as
technical inspections and completion of technical reports.

Over the past 16 years, more than 10,000 students have participated in
Solar Cup. The program began in 2002 with eight teams and about 80
students. In the years since, it has grown into the nationÔÇÖs largest
solar-powered boat competition.

Learn more about Solar Cup at mwdh2o.com.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a
state-established cooperative of 26 cities and water agencies serving
nearly 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water
from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local
supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation,
recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.

Contacts

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Rebecca Kimitch
(213)
217-6450
(202) 821-5253, mobile
or
Bob Muir
(213)
217-6930
(213) 324-5213, mobile