The Commentator www

UTECH’s building of a solar powered car - Why?

Michael A. Dingwall (michael_a_dingwall@hotmail.com)

Recently, Jamaica’s leading polytechnic university - the University of Technology (UTECH), announced that its engineering department is currently engaged in a special project. This project will see the first solar powered car being built in Jamaica. The plan is to convert a golf car into a solar powered car. While this is a good effort in helping to train our tertiary students - isn’t UTECH really beating a dead horse here?

Excluding the University of the West Indies (UWI), UTECH is the only tertiary institution of any note in Jamaica. It has established a relatively good reputation for itself. In many respects, employers prefer UTECH graduates to UWI’s. However, apart from broadening the skills of both students and lecturers and perhaps enhancing its prestige, this effort by UTECH to build this solar powered car is, in my view, a grand waste of time. Why?

"What’s the point of having every letter of the alphabet following our names if, at the end of the day, we still can’t do anything - still depending on others?"

During a recent newscast announcing this venture by UTECH, the impression was given that this effort will usher in a motor vehicle revolution in Jamaica. The truth, however, is not so. The concept of solar powered cars is not new. Leading nations, that is, those that have science and technology as their top priority, have been trying for decades to build a practical solar powered car. To date all such efforts have failed. Unfortunately, the technology necessary for such a practical car does not exist today. So, instead of building this expensive toy, why doesn’t UTECH direct its efforts towards something that is of real use? How?

I saw a documentary, from one of these leading nations, showing a solar powered house. The entire house was powered by converted energy from the sun. However, the house had one important drawback - it had a special room that was full of batteries. These were needed to store the converted solar power for use when the sun is not shining - which it does at least half of the time. How does one properly dispose of those batteries and not negatively affect the environment?

Wouldn’t it be better if UTECH had directed its efforts at finding a way in which such batteries could be safely disposed of? Or even better, why doesn’t UTECH try to find a way in which enough converted solar power to power a standard home could be stored in far fewer batteries or even one? Perhaps UTECH should be trying to invent a new type of battery to store much more power than those around today. Imagine - a fully solar powered home with perhaps only a few batteries, or even one rather that a room full. Such a project would be much better and of much more practical benefit than wasting time replicating feats already done by others - feats of no practical use. Wouldn’t it?

Visiting UTECH’s web site recently, I saw where they had begun extensive use of a new Management Information System. This system, which has no doubt improved the lot of the university (and cost it millions of dollars), was not built indigenously - it was imported from Great Britain. I have seen reports in the news about this system - not all very positive. Whether these challenges (if they really do exist) are as a result of system failure or operator error is irrelevant - with any new system, challenges will arise from time to time. My issue is the fact that UTECH had to go outside for such a system.

On that same UTECH site, I saw where it was stated that a lot of UTECH’s lecturers and other leading personnel were increasing their academic qualifications. Many, we are told, have acquired Doctorates and others were in the process of doing the same. Many others have advanced qualifications. We are constantly reminded of the intellectual strengths of UTECH graduates. Now - are you telling me that all these people, including many the PhD holders could not put their heads together and come up with a working system for their university? Couldn’t UTECH have helped out some of its brighter students by drawing them into a special project to build such a system - by letting them do some of the programming in return for reduce tuition costs perhaps? Couldn’t UTECH’s PhD holders manage such a project?

If UTECH had undertaken such a task, no doubt it would have been very beneficial in many ways. Millions of dollars could have been saved, lecturers, students and other personnel would have gained valuable experience and UTECH could boast of building its own system. What’s the point of having every letter of the alphabet following our names if, at the end of the day, we still can’t do anything - still depending on others?

I congratulate UTECH for trying to expand its knowledge base; I am just disappointed that it is going about it the wrong way.

[Back to Main Page]