Nov 1, 2018   SOURCE: BusinessWire

It’s Hammer Time: 17th Annual Solar Cup™ Launches

Saws will be whizzing, drills will be buzzing and sawdust will be flying this Saturday (Nov. 3) as more than 400 students from high schools across five Southern California counties transform boxes of marine-grade plywood into 16-foot canoe-like hulls, kicking off the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s 17th annual Solar Cup™ competition.

The nation’s largest contest of its kind, Solar Cup is a seven-month program in which high school teams use problem-solving, creativity, collaboration and engineering skills to build solar-powered boats and then test their speed and endurance. This year’s challenge officially launches with a boat-building workshop Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Three Valleys Municipal Water District, 1021 E. Miramar Ave. in Claremont.

Solar Cup culminates with races May 17-19, 2019 at Metropolitan’s Lake Skinner in the Temecula Valley in Riverside County. The competition, which is open to the public, promotes learning about Southern California’s water resources, resource management, conservation and alternative energy development.

The boat-building event is part of a series of workshops and activities throughout Solar Cup season. Students, some handling tools for the first time, will use Metropolitan-provided boat hull kits, building instructions, saws, nails, screws, sandpaper, paintbrushes and epoxy to build hulls, with the help of their teachers and Metropolitan’s education program leaders.

Then the competitive work begins. In the months ahead, teams will dedicate countless hours, working together to apply math, physics and engineering skills to equip the boats with steering, solar panels, batteries and sun-driven motors producing up to 320 watts. The maximum weight of the boats, including the skipper, is 450 pounds.

Solar Cup began in 2002 with eight schools and 100 students. Although Saturday’s workshop is limited to 12 students from each team, about 850 total students from 42 high schools in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego counties are participating in this year’s competition (list of participating schools attached).

In May, teams will gather and compete against each other in two races – a 200-meter sprint race, in which boats reach up to 15 miles per hour, and an endurance race, which is won by the boat that circles a 1.6-kilometer course the most times during two 90-minute heats.

As part of the competition, students also accumulate points through the submission of two technical reports and a water conservation public service announcement.

While Metropolitan provides the teams with the boat kits and tools, local member agencies and retailers financially sponsor them, providing $4,000 to new teams and $2,500 to returning teams to fully build and equip their boats.

More information, event videos and photos from past Solar Cup events can be found at mwdh2o.com/inthecommunity.

Note to editors: Digital photographs and video of the boat-building workshop will be available.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a state-established cooperative that, along with its 26 cities and retail suppliers, serves 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.

Member Agency Sponsor           Team/High School           City
Anaheim Public Utilities           Anaheim High School           Anaheim
Burbank Water & Power           Burbank High School           Burbank
Long Beach Water Department           Cabrillo High School           Long Beach
Las Virgenes MWD           Calabasas High School           Calabasas
Western MWD*           Centennial High School           Corona
West Basin MWD           Centinela Valley Union High SD           Lawndale
Inland Empire Utilities Agency*           Chino Hills High School           Chino Hills
City of Compton           Compton High School           Compton
Municipal Water District of Orange County*           Costa Mesa High School           Costa Mesa
San Diego County Water Authority           Del Lago Academy           Escondido
Three Valleys MWD*           Diamond Ranch High School           Pomona
Upper San Gabriel Valley MWD           Don Bosco Technical Institute           Rosemead
Central Basin MWD           Downey High School           Downey
Western MWD*           Eastvale STEM Academy @ Roosevelt HS           Corona
Western MWD*           Elsinore HS / Lakeside HS / Temescal Canyon HS           Wildomar
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power           Franklin High School           Los Angeles
Three Valleys MWD*           Ganesha High School           Pomona
City of Glendale           Glendale High School           Glendale
Eastern MWD*           Hemet USD Team (West Valley HS; Western Science Ctr; Hemet HS)           Hemet
San Diego County Water Authority           High Tech High North County           San Marcos
Pasadena Water & Power           John Muir High School           Pasadena
Foothill MWD*           La Cañada High School           La Cañada Flintridge
West Basin MWD           Lennox Math, Science & Technology Academy           Lennox
Upper San Gabriel Valley MWD           Los Altos High School           Hacienda Heights
Inland Empire Utilities Agency*           Los Osos High School           Rancho Cucamonga
Anaheim Public Utilities           Magnolia High School           Anaheim
Long Beach Water Department           McBride High School           Long Beach
West Basin MWD           Mira Costa High School           Manhattan Beach
Upper San Gabriel Valley MWD           Mountain View High School           El Monte
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power           Narbonne High School           Harbor City
Three Valleys MWD*           Nogales High School           La Puente
Western MWD*           Norte Vista High School           Riverside
Las Virgenes MWD           Oaks Christian School           Westlake Village
Municipal Water District of Orange County*           Oxford Academy           Cypress
West Basin MWD           Palos Verdes High School           Palos Verdes Estates
Eastern MWD*           Perris Union High SD Team (Heritage HS; Perris HS)           Romoland
Three Valleys MWD*           Pomona High School           Pomona
Eastern MWD*           San Jacinto Valley Academy           San Jacinto
Upper San Gabriel Valley MWD           Sierra Vista High School           Baldwin Park
Eastern MWD*           Temecula Valley USD Team (Chaparral HS / Great Oak HS)           Temecula
Inland Empire Utilities Agency*           Upland High School           Upland
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power           Venice HS STEMM Magnet           Los Angeles