The University of Calgary's solar car team was put to the test after a devastating mishap on Thursday.
The students had to take on a major replacement operation after some of their car's solar panels were destroyed by rocks.
The solar panels were completely destroyed while charging in the sun. "We had a little mishap where our array blew over in the wind and caused a little more rock damage," says Tiffany Veltman.
It turns out the mishap is a costly one. Not only because each of the cells is worth $5,000 but also because of the time it takes to repair them. In this solar car race, teams can only work on their vehicles until 6 p.m. or face penalties. With seconds to spare, the team finished the job and put the array up to capture the last few hours of sun.
When the team started the race on Friday they realized their replacement cells were a blessing in disguise. The new cells have boosted their overall power.
The finish line is just four days away and the boosted power could work to the advantage of the U of C team. A reliable speed is what they need if they plan to lead the pack across the finish line in Calgary.
