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Ten Things 2006: Pr...Solar cars, in using top-of-the-line, progressive technologies, have naturally become symbols of the future to the typical bystander. Solar cells are becoming popular as rooftop-adornments, and may one day cover the roof of every house in America. The solar car symbolizes the growing need to find new energy sources in a time when the oil supply is quickly running low. People associate solar cells with an element of the impossible, just as with most new technologies ("wow, who would think we could harvest energy from the sun?!?"), and the technology is still new enough that it raises eyebrows. A man or woman who puts cells on his or her house can brag that he or she was "one of the first" to jump on the photovoltaic bandwagon, saving the earth one small step at a time.
The sleek, airfoil shape of the car is suggestive of many "cars of the future" as seen in Hollywood movies (Lexus from Minority Report). This shape exudes efficiency in engineering, even though it is not the most practical (roomy) design. The shape is also generally appealing to the eye, without the harsh edges of today's vehicles, and looks more natural.
To the solar car designer, the car is very much a thing of the present. It is a race vehicle, not a car one will see driving the roads in 30 years. We (the team) often have to explain to onlookers that it is extremely unlikely that a normal passenger car could be powered by solar energy, at least in its current form. There simply isn't enough energy produced by a reasonably sized solar array to power more than about 1/50th of a normal car (see Back to the Future: The Future of Energy).
Solstice was a project created using the most current materials and processes, nothing that the public cannot currently buy themselves. It is definitive of the present status of engineering capabilities, and does not, to the engineer, suggest anything of the future of vehicle design. At the most, Solstice is used as a tool to educate the public about the possibilities of solar energy, so that more people become interested in using solar technology NOW.
I would much rather have people see Solstice as a reminder of the need for an increased use in green energy, than as a precursor to future technologies. This is the duality of the solar car: for the public, it is symbolic of future technologies; for the designer/engineer, is symbolic of the need for present action.
Solstice, as a race car, is representative of its school, Stanford. The school's name is written in large print across the back of the car, with the school's logo (S) and number, 16, clearly visible from all sides. During the race, the team also wore shirts bearing Stanford's name, unifying them in association with the school (see below).
The association with Stanford is most clearly provided by Solstice's paint job and graphic art. Before being painted and before the array was added, the car looked like a rolling mass of fiberglass, with little association to anything. Presentation, for Solstice, is everything. The futuristic, sleek look obtained by the addition of black paint, red stripes, and solar cells is what gives this car definition. People aren't interested in things that don't look nice, and as can be seen below, this car had little character or "wow factor" before it was painted.
Lastly, why does the car represent Stanford when it was only built by twenty of its students, and was not funded by the University or the Engineering Department (some funding for the car was donated by the student body and the Vice Provost, but all other money and materials were obtained from private companies)? For one, the race requires that the school's name be on the car. Secondly, the Stanford name is associated with excellence, prestige, quality, and work ethic -- who wouldn't want to be associated with such a name?
As with most things technical, the sport of solar car racing is generally associated with men. Men are engineers, they design and build things. This, for the most part, is true for solar car teams. A typical race team has at the most one or two girls, who generally aren't engineers (some go as logistics team members, cooks, trailer drivers, etc). As one of the few girls who actually designed a large part of a solar car, I am often labeled as "hardcore" (which can have both negative and positive connotations), or mistaken for the team cook (I was asked this on the race at least ten times). Many people (usually older) have a hard time believing I actually designed anything on the car.
Here is a picture of me on the race, completing a check of the mechanical systems (hence the gloves). This, to me, is the perfect image of me being "hardcore", whereas a guy in the same picture would be seen as acting normal (working on a car in the hot sun). This imagery of the male as engineer is not solely a problem with solar car racing, but with society in general. Engineering, cars, and racing are all seen as male-dominated fields/interests.
For my in-race perspective on being a girl on the race team, check out http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8737930/, click on the slide show, and then on "Women in the Field." This is an interview I did with MSNBC on the last day of the race.
There is one solar car team, which was in previous years trying to promote the image of women in engineering. Tufts University Solar Car Team was comprised fully of women (see "Don't Call Them Nerds"). Unfortunately, these girls are known nationally as the "Nerd Girls," which is not, in my opinion, a name that promotes engineering as an option for young women. It is degrading. However, this is how women in engineering are seen today, as hardcore nerds, who still don't belong in the field.
Although secondary to masculinity, the car also harbors some feminine features. In gathering energy from the sun, the car acts with Mother Nature to produce useable energy. It works with nature, instead of destroying it, as do most modern technologies. The fragility of the car also suggests its feminine nature: females are often seen as fragile creatures, who must be taken strict care of, and the solar car is no exception. The car itself is often referred to as "she", and thus has taken on a female identity in the male world of engineers.
One of the main perks of building a solar car is the ability to put that experience on your resume. In every interview I have had since joining the team, my work on the solar car becomes a focal point of the conversation. People are interested in the project, and it allows me to show off my skills in engineering, management, public relations, and finances (I designed/manufactured mechanical systems and led the team's financial efforts). Very few college students work on a large scale project before entering the workforce as an engineer, so the title "Solar Car Designer" (or something of the sort) will stand out on a new-hire's resume. Many old team members swear by the fact that they got their jobs solely due to their time spent on Stanford's cars. Many team alumni continue in related fields, working in companies focused on vehicles or solar energy.
This is one of the ways in which the solar car is used as a tool, creating an image for the engineer as he or she applies to jobs.
Solstice, as well as many solar cars, is used as a driving billboard for its sponsors. The chase van (which follows the car) also sports the name of every person and company who donated to the team. The solar car "billboard" highlights the networks present between the solar car and its sponsors. It details who donated time, energy, parts, or money to the creation of the car, and tells those people they are appreciated. This public showing of sponsors gives those sponsors an incentive to donate to the team again, or to hire team members upon their graduation. The companies get something in return for their generosity.
