Solar Car Conquers Canada

Not too much news in residential or commercial solar technology this week, so this seems like a wonderful opportunity to share that the Guinness world record for distance traveled in a solar car looks vulnerable after an Ontario man rode the famed Dempster Highway all the way up to the Arctic Circle, using nothing more than the power of the sun. If he can make it back to Ontario in the car it looks like he will take the record from an Australian team that had previously set it.

The idea of traveling 16,000 kilometers in a solar car that, as the article notes, “looks like a low-slung flying saucer on wheels,” is pretty incredible. And solar car projects are also a fun way of looking at an application of solar that has less of a sense of urgency to it and more of a sense of scientific creativity and freedom. People across the world are clamoring for renewable energy solutions for their homes and businesses, and solar is increasingly ready to meet their needs in affordable and efficient ways; solar’s presence on the power grid is only going to grow and grow over the next decade, even if we don’t make it to Al Gore’s benchmark. But with a car like this, as there’s less of a sense of urgency for a full-solar car - especially with electric cars and hybrids making real progress - you can enjoy the simple accomplishment without worrying about the pace of improvement or logistical issues that will pose real challenges for mainstream solar car technology.

Not that it can make for a full respite, of course, from practical concerns, with the Senate testing my optimism about renewing the solar tax credit. But for the moment, congratulations to Marcelo da Luz for his incredible trip, and I hope he makes a safe return to slightly-warmer parts of North America.