Owens to Host Free U of M Solar Car Display and Lecture
PERRYSBURG TOWNSHIP, OH – Area residents interested in learning about automotive solar power technology are invited to visit Owens Community College as the academic institution serves as host to the University of Michigan Solar Car Team on Thursday, Aug. 25.
Sponsored by the College’s School of Technology and the University of Michigan Club of Greater Toledo, the event will take place from 3-8 p.m. and feature a display of the University of Michigan’s state-of-the-art solar electric car technology as well as a lecture presentation at the College’s Industrial and Engineering Technologies building on the Toledo-area Campus. Owens is located on Oregon Road in Perrysburg Township. Admission to the event is free and the public is encouraged to attend.
“Owens Community College’s School of Technology is excited to provide area residents with the opportunity to visit with and hear from the internationally-recognized University of Michigan Solar Car Team,” said Randy Wharton, Owens Chair of Design Technologies and Co-Interim Dean of the School of Technology. “Solar technology continues to grow in popularity as more and more people look for ways to become energy efficient. The University of Michigan Solar Car Team has taken energy efficiency to a new level with their solar vehicles and we look forward to learning more about their cutting-edge technology.”
“The University of Michigan Club of Greater Toledo is happy to be able to coordinate this event at Owens Community College,” said John Satkowski, University of Michigan Alumni Club of Greater Toledo Treasurer and Owens Executive Vice President of Business Affairs and Chief Financial Officer. “The Solar Car Team is appearing at various other University of Michigan Alumni Clubs throughout the United State to solicit funding from alumni to pay for their participation in the competition in Australia this October. The University of Michigan Club of Greater Toledo has authorized a donation from the club to the Solar Car Team in order to assist with their expenses for the competition.”
University of Michigan representatives will be on hand to answer questions specific to the solar car technology, which will be on display adjacent to Owens’ Industrial and Engineering Technologies building. Beginning at 6 p.m., officials will provide insight into the cutting-edge solar technology and the systematic process of producing and racing a world-class solar car. The lecture presentation will occur in the Industrial and Engineering Technologies building Room 109.
The University of Michigan Solar Car Team is the largest student project team on the University of Michigan campus, involving over 100 members from various academic disciplines. Over 20 years since its organizational founding, the team has built 10 custom solar-electric vehicles and won six National Championships and placed third in the World Solar Challenge on four separate occasions. The team is committed to being recognized as the leader in solar technology, proving itself by attempting to win the 1,800-mile World Solar Challenge in Darwin, Australia with the 2011 Quantum solar car in October.
Earlier this year, Owens continued its own educational investment into the future of alternative and renewable energy by unveiling a new Alternative Energy and Sustainable Systems Technology Associate Degree Program. The degree provides students with the opportunity to receive hands-on experiential learning at the highest level utilizing many of the College’s state-of-the-art academic resources specific to solar thermal power, wind power and photovoltaic power.
For additional information about the event, call (567) 661-7457 or 1-800-GO-OWENS, Ext. 7457.
Press Release Contact Name: Brad Meyer
Press Release Contact Email: [email protected]
Organization Name: Owens Community College