Meyer Burger supports student solar enthusiasts
Brunel takes bronze and aCentauri from Zurich crosses the finish line in Adelaide in twelfth place out of a total of 31 teams. 3000 kilometers through the Australian outback - solely on the energy of the sun and a great team spirit among both teams. This year's Bridgestone World Solar Challenge was a thrill until the very end - and a super success.
"We are very proud that both teams supported by us mastered the legendary solar race in Australia with flying colors," says Marcel König, Global Head Research & Development at Meyer Burger. "Third place is a great achievement for the well-rehearsed and super experienced Brunel Solar Racing team from the Netherlands. And the newcomers from aCentauri Solar Racing from Switzerland also did extremely well - in just one year they set up a completely new team, built a solar car and then managed the route from Darwin to Adelaide, once across Australia. Wow!".
Meyer Burger sponsored two teams in the world's largest solar challenge for the first time this year. Both the Swiss team and the Dutch solar enthusiasts each received the solar cells for the PV deck on their cars from Meyer Burger. The self-built racers, optimized with the highest level of engineering and innovative spirit, drive the more than 3000 kilometer route through Australia using only the sun's energy.
"For us, this solar race is the best proof that our heterojunction/SmartWire technology is simply highly efficient. The cells are subjected to massive stress during the few days of the Challenge - whether it's heat, dust, wind or violent vibrations on the country roads through the outback. Those that pass the test are also suitable for everyday use over many years and decades on private or commercial roofs, balconies or facades," says Marcel König.
The Meyer Burger research team greatly appreciates the cooperation with the student solar teams. The feedback and experience gained from the race also flow into the further development of cell technology at Meyer Burger.
Two years ago, Meyer Burger already supported the Top Dutch Solar Racing Team from the Netherlands. This year, the cooperation came about with the Brunel team, who have been participating in the Solar Challenge for many years with their Nuna cars and are always one of the favorites, and rightly so. Meyer Burger 2023 is also cooperating with the aCentauri team from the ETH in Zurich - naturally because of their common Swiss origins. At the same time, the red and white solar enthusiasts have a long history in photovoltaics and solar mobility - a good reason for Meyer Burger to support the newly founded aCentauri team. At the next Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2025, the Swiss are already aiming for the solar race title in Australia with their Aletsch car.
We are already keeping our fingers crossed and are happy to be there again as PV & innovation support. Perhaps then with the latest technological generation - IBC from Meyer Burger. Stay tuned.
These teams are supported by Meyer Burger
The Swiss Newcomer
The aCentauri Solar Racing Team – or aCe for short - consists of a group of young solar enthusiasts who want to redefine the boundaries of solar-powered racing. With a dedicated leadership team and the professional collaboration of engineers, designers and education professionals, aCe has evolved from a student organization to a pioneer in sustainable mobility in the course of a year. Its goal is to inspire and encourage a broad public to commit to a sustainable and environmentally friendly future.
The central component of the solar car created by aCe are the heterojunction cells from Meyer Burger - innovative, highly efficient single-crystalline silicon cells connected by SmartWire technology - which capture light rays and drive the car 3,000 kilometers through the Australian outback using only the power of the sun.
With their "Aletsch", the ETH Zurich Solar Racing Team took part in the World Solar Challenge for the first time this year from October 22 to 29, 2023.
The solar champions from the Netherlands
The Brunel Solar Team from Delft has already taken part in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge ten times and holds the record for the most victories in the history of the legendary race. This year, the team competed for the first time with "Nuna 12" and also for the first time with a special cell technology - the Heterojunction/SmartWire combination from Meyer Burger on the sun deck of their solar car.
The aim of the Brunel Solar Team, which has been active for more than 20 years, is to promote awareness of the power of renewable energies. By taking part in solar competitions all over the world, the Dutch solar enthusiasts demonstrate the possibilities offered by photovoltaics and how the boundaries of the technology can be pushed and expanded through innovation.
The students at Delft University were once inspired by the movie "Race the Sun". In 2001, they brought Wubbo Ockels on board - the Netherlands' first astronaut and professor at TU Delft - to build a solar car with him and drive it to victory in the very first race. The Brunel Solar Team still benefits from this legendary story to this day and always drives in the top group with the power of the sun alone.
Route Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2023
The route of the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2023 takes the solar cars from Darwin to Adelaide in Australia. Along the way, the solar cars and their teams must stop at each checkpoint for 30 minutes to refresh, sometimes recharge, and regroup.
- Darwin
- Katherine
- Dunmarra
- Tennant Creek
- Barrow Creek
- Alice Springs
- Erldunda
- Coober Pedy
- Glendambo
- Port Augusta
- Adelaide
Images from Meyer Burger, aCentauri Solar Racing, Brunel Solar Team and worldsolarchallenge.org.