Family Fare

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Here Comes The Sun

by Laurel Grauber

September 15, 2006

It will probably be quite a while before solar-powered race cars hurtle down the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But such vehicles will be rolling alomg near (but not on) the Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive tomorrow, in a much more diminutive size and at a much more conservative speed.

These racers will be built by children taking part in the first Family Day sponsored by Solar One, a solar energy arts and education center on the banks of the East River.

“We have 88 solar panels, and it’s not just a solar-powered building but a green building,” said Sarah Manley, the educator for the center, “green” referring to an environmentally friendly design.

The event will begin with an exploration of the center’s surroundings, Stuyvesant Cove Park. This restored area began as a brown field, or a former industrial and possibly polluted site. “We’ll talk about energy’s impact on the environment, and the native plants here,” Ms. Manley said.

After a tour of Solar 1, children will build the race cars from balsa-wood kits, each including a solar panel “maybe 2 inches by 3 inches,” Ms. Manley said. They can help shape the wood and decorate the vehicles.

Then it’s off to the races, which will also be a physics lesson. “The speed depends on the size and shape of the car, and you can also angle the panel to capture different amounts of light,” Ms. Manley said. The track will be a blacktop by the park, unless it rains. In that case, the sun’s understudy will be 100-watt light bulbs.

Those who would like a further demonstration of how solar energy can rock the world can return at 5 p.m. for the center’s free Sun to Stars South Asian Festival, with live music, song, dance and storytelling. And yes, any electronic equipment ther will be solar-powered.


Posted on Friday, September 15th, 2006 at 11:28 am | Tagged in S1 in the News | posted by Dina

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