In sixth class we had the privilege of being sponsored by a Wicklow-based energy firm, Glenergy Ltd, for two recent projects – a solar panel powered car and a hand generator to build. They were a joy to build, so fun to assemble and they are a pleasure to play with.
Half of us built hand generators and the other half built solar panel cars.
Hand Generator
The first thing we all did was to take all the pieces out and put them into a cardboard box so that
the pieces stayed together. When we all had that done, we started to build our projects.
The next step with the hand generator was to build the wheel to spin. There were three pieces to go together. We put them together by screwing screws into the three pieces and putting the handle on. After that we put the base on for the wheel and attached the wheel on.
A few minutes later we connected some wire to the motor and connected the motor to the base. When we got that finished we connected the wires to the light bulb and screwed the screws into the bottom to keep everything in place.
Finally, we put a rubber band around the wheel and the motor and when you spun it. It provided power to the light bulb which lit it up.
Solar-Powered Car
We started the solar panel cars by getting the side of the car and connecting it with the middle, then we strapped the motor which had wires on it in by an elastic band. We proceeded by sticking two poles through and attaching wheels, then it was time to attach the other side. Then we started to touch it up a bit with cool things like spoilers.
Finally, we did the solar panel roof which had wires on it. We had to connect the solar panel wires to the motor wires, slide the roof into place and there you have it.
We really enjoyed it so much and appreciated it a lot. A big thanks to Glenergy for sponsoring these fascinating kits.
Aftermath
A little later in the day, we had a brief race between the solar-powered cars when the sun was out and strong in the sky. It was great fun to watch these little beasts power themselves across the basketball court using solar energy.
Fascinatingly, the clever pupils in our class explored the generators once they went home and attempted to charge mobile phones. It worked! A real-life insight into how electricity is generated by rotational energy and how we use it in our everyday lives.
Brittas Bay National School 