SOCIAL AWARENESS OF SOLAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGY: SOLAR PICNIC TABLE DESIGN COMPETITION (COMPETITION, DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND LESSONS LEARNED)

摘要

Advancements in solar energy technology have created opportunities for the development of innovative and unique prototypes using this renewable resource. The Catholic University of America, located in Washington DC, capitalized on an opportunity to work with solar energy and shared the prospect with the campus community. In order to encourage students to learn more about the intricacies and potential of solar energy, the university sponsored a competition called the Solar Picnic Table Design Competition. This competition encouraged teams of students to design, architecturally and technically, a picnic table powered by the energy of the sun that would allow users to plug in and charge personal electronics. This paper will describe the process of the competition, outline the details of the winning design, discuss the response from the jurors, and explain some of the lessons learned.