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Young engineers from across the Asia-Pacific battled it out as UNSW recently hosted the finals of the Australian-International Model Solar Challenge.

The competition aims to deliver a first-hand educational experience to students in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), with an emphasis on design, engineering and renewable energy.

The event, open to both primary and high school students, is designed to expand learning and provide a practical experience in designing and building functioning solar-powered vehicles. It also focuses on getting students to work together as a team and recognise the importance of renewable energy for a sustainable future.

The 2024 finals, organised by Michael Richards and Professor Ziv Hameiri from the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE), featured international teams from Taiwan against Australian entries from Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, and New South Wales. Events featuring both cars and boats, powered by solar energy, took place over two days with competition fierce but friendly.

UNSW has run the SunSprint event for the past 20 years which doubles as the NSW state qualifier, but this year was proud to host the Australian-International finals with 33 cars and 12 boat teams

The winner of the car event was a team from Girrawheen Senior High School in Perth (WA) after overcoming a team from Box Hill High School (VIC) in the final. The boats have two division, Junior and Advanced, the winners being Spensley Street Primary School (VIC) and Hobart City High School (TAS).

Prof. Hameiri said: “What a fantastic event! The students faced challenging weather conditions, braving a stormy Saturday followed by a very hot Sunday. It was inspiring to witness the energy, excitement, and teamwork displayed by these young engineers.

“We were also delighted to host the team from Taiwan, who performed exceptionally well in most of the races. It will be exciting to see the paths these students take as they grow. I’m confident that many of them will find their way to UNSW in the future”

Mr Richards added: “What a privilege to help run an event where so many teachers and parents give up so much of their time to help these future engineers understand the design process and solve problems right up to the last race.

“The engagement and learning of students always amaze me and to see this grow as some teams manage to come back to this international competition more than once is fabulous.”