Design/Build Workshops

SolaREvolution offers standard and customized workshops to develop and build solar and electric vehicles. Over the past fifteen years, our professionals have developed and implemented educational teacher-training workshops proven to be fast, inexpensive, and highly effective for interdisciplinary educational programs emphasizing science, math, and vocational skills.

SolaREvolution workshops can be oriented toward schools, institutions or corporations, for individuals or groups.  Workshops can be tailored to meet specific objectives of the sponsoring individual or organization. School, corporate, and institutional workshops include teacher-training programs intended for a group of teachers to create independent regional programs or institutional based product development programs. Each unique orientation provides essentially the same course of instruction except specific details vary depending on intent. For example in an end-user design/build program, most emphasis is on specific parts design and problem solving.  

• For student-teacher workshops, emphasis is placed on relating specific problem solving with incentive to make use of vocational skills and academic subject matter.   
• In the teacher-training orientation, emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary project centered educational programs and assessment methods.  
• Individual progams can be used stand alone, resulting in a complete educational curriculum for a home school application, or as an R&D program to create a prototype for an experimental product.

All workshops are most effective when combined with consultation in advance toward curriculum building or product R&D and follow up activities scheduled over the next several months and continuing.  By combining workshop with a sponsorship program where participants are provided with seed support for an ongoing program, an enthusiastic and ongoing activity is virtually assured. This approach has proven effective in past application of our workshop format to school electric vehicle competitions that have stimulated a nation-wide program that has been ongoing for over fifteen years involving over 800 schools in over 28 states. This particular workshop series, known as Electrathon Engineering Workshops, has provided the core program for electric vehicle competitions adopted by several state educational boards.

Objectives of Workshops

1. Introduce participants to the range of current and available possibilities in the world of solar and electric power for vehicles.
2. Demonstrate the simplicity of the technology through actually building a vehicle or product prototype.
3. Provide a format for public education in alternative energy technology.
4. Leave a functional prototype with the sponsoring group to encourage further independent activities in the region.

Organization of Workshops

The following outline describes a three day workshop. Days are based on a full work day of 8 hours which includes a one hour lunch period during which time presentations are made on theory, technical aspects of the project, and sponsor messages. Some modification of time schedules can be custom suited to the needs of participants and sponsors.

SCHEDULE

• Introduction to solar and electric vehicle technology and orientation of the workshop. Video, photography, and published materials are used to provide participants with an overview of current activities in the technology and the objectives of the workshop. (3 1/2 hours)
• Lunch with presentation (1 hour)
• The second half of the day consists of organizing the hands-on project and dividing participants up into teams that will complete the construction process.  (3 1/2 hours)

The first day's work introduces the project, lays out the work space and routine and begins participants on the actual work.

DAY 2.

• Begin assembly of the prototype with explanation and reference to the design process and available technology. Participants are encouraged to take notes and make modifications on their own design project based on ideas learned through the assembly process.  (3 1/2 hours)
• Lunch with presentation (1 hour)
• During assembly, participants do all actual work with instructor supervision. Components are designed and produced by the participants themselves. In case the design and construction process encounters difficulties that would prevent successful completion of the project within the allotted time, instructor produces finished components to guarantee success of the assembly within that time.  (3 1/2 hours)

The second day's work completes the basic structure of the prototype in preparation for assembly of subsystems.

DAY 3.

• Continuation of the assembly process. (3 1/2 hours)
• Lunch with presentation (1 hour)
• Completion of the prototype (3 1/2 hours)

Following the workshop the prototype is tested and a public presentation or press opportunity may be staged to demonstrate the state of perfection achieved by participants in just three days.

Three day workshops are based on standardized vehicle prototypes developed by SolaREvolution for the specific purpose of accomplishment within the allowed time frame. Two week and longer workshops follow the same basic format but provide more intensive instruction and accomplish more elaborate prototypes. Longer workshops are based on prototype designs initially completed during preliminary phases of instruction conducted with our online virtual schoolhouse and by special arrangement.

Parts Access

Workshops are based on kits provided by SolaREvolution. For the standard workshop, additional parts are rarely needed. Parts design and procurement can be incorporated into longer workshops. For participants starting their own designs or continuing projects after the workshop is finished, local access to bicycle, motor scooter, and go-kart parts may be helpful. SolaREvolution can provide a full range of components necessary to support not only the workshop, but also full programs including multi school, institutional, corporate workshops, or an ongoing series. Components for specialized and multi-project workshops are additional and must be pre-arranged.

Facilities Needed

1. Work area
2. Tools
3. Test site
4. Accommodations

The work area must be large enough to accommodate the prototype, all materials necessary, work benches, and participants. Tools must include all standard mechanics tools along with metal fabrication equipment. A check list is provided on sign up. The test site must be approximately 1/8 mile off-road paved and unobstructed surface free of serious irregularities. Lodging preferably is located nearby to facilitate efficient adaptation to the time schedule of the participants. Transportation may also be required depending on the proximity of lodging to the work area.

Prices, Terms, and Payment Requirements

Price for the standard three day workshop is $7,600.00 plus direct travel expenses. This price includes all materials, advance preparations, and instructor's fees. The sponsoring group will keep the vehicle built for their own use and purposes. Round trip air fare, local transportation, shipping for the vehicle kit, and lodging for the instructor are in addition to the workshop fee. This cost will vary depending on workshop location.

A sign-up fee of $1,000.00 is required when a workshop is scheduled, which must be at least 90 days before the actual workshop date and confirmed by direct written communication. An additional $3,200.00 must be paid 30 days prior to the actual workshop date to cover all expenses of the kit and prefabrication. A final payment of $3,400.00 is due immediately on completion of the workshop, and prior to instructor's departure from the sponsor's host city. Sponsor is guaranteed completion of the workshop by contractual agreement made at the time of submission of the initial retainer.

Components of the Vehicle Kit The following components are included in the workshop cost and are delivered to the sponsors facilities two weeks prior to the scheduled workshop date to guarantee all necessary parts are on site at the beginning of the workshop.

1. Chassis
2. Motor
3. Motor mount
4. Motor sprocket
5. MOSFET motor speed controller
6. Potentiometer
7. AWG 6 copper power wire
8. 24volt contactor
9. Fuse
10. AN 4 crimp connectors
11. Battery terminal lugs
12. 20" spoke wheels
13. 20" tires
14. 20" tubes
15. Wheel bearings
16. 4-1/2" brake drums
17. 4-1/2" brake assembly
18. Brake pedal
19. Control wiring
20. Drive sprocket
21. Axle
22. #35 Chain
23. Steering Wheel
24. Steering shaft assembly
25. Steering mount & linkage
26. Tie rods
27. Seat
28. Assorted mounting hardware

Starter Kits Available For Regional Programs

Many of the most successful regional programs have been initiated in schools by utility companies or sponsoring organizations which provide a "starter kit" to each school which has signed up for the workshop. This guarantees each participating school the opportunity to use the information presented during the workshop over the following months to prepare for an actual competition between schools. As a supplement to school teacher-trainer workshops, SolaREvolution can provide starter kits for each participating school to be distributed at the conclusion of the workshop. Standard starter kits consist of a motor, controller, pot box, fuse, and battery/disconnect switch. Cost for the standard starter kit is $875 per kit with a minimum order of 10 kits. Starter kit prices include shipping in the continental USA.

For more information, contact us.