Solar power could be Wave of the future By Yumiko K. Tabuchi, Forty-Niner Online Oct. 9, 1995

Showing off the first solar-powered car ever built in Long Beach, Cal State Long Beach students displayed "Solar Wave," a 19-foot car parked next to the Peterson Hall Science Building 1 last week.

On Oct. 2 and 3, students were able to view the car, which is shaped like a metallic-blue teardrop. The Solar Wave seats one person and is legally allowed to drive on regular roads with its California license.

Project manager Joe Styzenf, who graduated in May after completion of the solar car, said the car has break and emergency lights, but no headlights.

"We can't drive the car at night, but races are only in the day, so we don't have headlights," Styzenf said. "But we can add them if we want to."

The $300,000 project was a group effort by CSULB students from different majors, including the mechanical and electrical engineering, business and art departments. About 50 students participated in the project.

"The vehicle takes sunlight and converts it to electricity," said Tim Kennedy, an electric engineering major. "From there it charges the batteries or powers the engine or both." There are 12 batteries in the middle of the car, although the car can run directly from the energy of the sun, Kennedy said. Components that look like blue tiles, called cells, take in the sunlight which is then converted to electricity.

The Solar Wave raced from Indianapolis, Ind. to Golden Aurora, Colo. in the Sunrayce 95 competition in June. The Sunrayce 95 is the largest solar-car race in North America, featuring entrants from the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

The Solar Wave placed 32 out of the 38 solar cars that entered. The vehicle had to pass testing prior to the race, including safety and distance tests.

Team members spent two and a half years on the project. The Solar Wave is the first car of its kind built at CSULB, said Styzenf, who majored in electrical engineering. "If the Wright brothers were around today, they probably would have made something like this," said Glenn Jensen, a physical-education major.

Although the project was partly funded by the Associated Students Inc., the Solar Wave team accepted donations from outside companies, such as South Coast Air Quality Management, who donated about $20,000, Styzenf said. Styzenf said that Team Solar Wave is far from finished. He said the team must now run tests on the car in preparation for building a second, better vehicle. "We never got a real clear understanding on how some of it works," he said. "So we're going to do some work and testing on it this semester."

Styzenf also said that Team Solar Wave, which currently has about 15 members, is seeking students from all majors to join.

"We need another 50 students and then the team would run smoothly," Styzenf said.

Students interested in Team Solar Wave can call the team's office at (310) 985-5145.