Undergraduate Research and Development Explores new Technologies in Energy Conservation Innovations.

The Experimental Vehicles Program (EVP) was created in 2004 as an umbrella program for undergraduate experimental vehicle design teams. The EVP in 2013 consist of the Solar Vehicle, Moonbuggy, Baja SAE, Formula SAE, and Solar Boat. The EVP has also recently added the Hybrid Car to its collection of projects. Some of the five projects have the hope of fostering undergraduate student research as well as expanding student knowledge in the fields of green energy and energy conservation. The Solar Boat project, participated in every year by the EVP, has been one of the most innovative and ground breaking research test beds for new energy efficient technology. Every year students work in teams to design, construct, and test novel vehicle designs for participation in national and international competitions. Due to the competitive nature of each of the competitions, students must use cutting edge technology and design methods in order to create the best entries possible. The Solar Boat must harness renewable energy to propel itself while at the same time excel in both endurance and sprint disciples. This allows the students to delve into new technologies to make their vehicles outshine and out compete their competitors. The developmental ingenuity that is required to make energy efficient vehicles is completely derived from the students and has been a source of numerous innovative advancements. Vehicles such as the Solar Boat and the Hybrid Car allow the students to gain knowledge in a highly contested area such as green energy. Projects such as the Solar Boat and the Hybrid Car perform a vital function in the professional development of students. The projects provide a forgiving environment in which students can test their classroom knowledge in a real-world setting and learn important skills such as leadership, effective communication, and working as a team member. Furthermore, the students in the EVP develop highly versatile and qualified skill sets that will allow them to fill various positions within the workplace. Graduates that are able to research and produce green energy technologies will have a leg up in their future endeavors both academically and professionally. Additionally, those students that are energized by their undergraduate education experience have an enhanced possibility of retaining the information they acquire and aspire to advance degrees or academic engineering research [1]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]