The future of the solar industry?

Lee Puckett, a 10th grader at Long Beach Poly, and his three teammates used light materials and efficient design to win the third-annual Long Beach Solar Grand Prix. It was Puckett’s third win in three years. He started competing in the remote control solar car race when he was in Middle School. “When I was in seventh grade, I made a solar-powered hovercraft,” Puckett said. “I was fascinated by solar energy.” He’s spent a lot of time studying solar and learning about engineering concepts that have enabled him and his team, which included three friends Christopher Vo, Vivek Bhakta and Harsh Patel, to drive their solar cars to victory.

The winning design this year sat on a triangular frame. “That allowed us to make it stronger,” Puckett said. “It also allowed us to take off one of the wheels, which reduced the weight and eliminated some rolling friction.” All of those advances, along with light-weight open ball bearings, carbon fiber components and aluminum axels made the car the fastest among the 57 that raced April 21 in honor of Earth Day.

Long Beach’s 5th District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske organized the event. Corporate sponsors pay for the solar car kits, which include a solar panel and small electric engine. The kids get the kits at a special orientation in January, where they learn about solar energy and then they have until the event to build and perfect their designs. It’s the second year in a row that Puckett’s team took first place. The team also won first-place recognition for the best overall design and the best innovative design this year.

Puckett’s interest in solar stretches beyond the remote control cars and novelty of the hovercraft he built when he was younger. “I’m really interested in thin-film technology,” he said. He is studying it and learning as much as he can about solar and particularly about thin-film. “I’m thinking of pursuing a career in solar,” he said, “in developing more affordable solar.”