Innoptus Solar Team visits EnergyVille during victory tour
On 20th September 2024, the Innoptus Solar Team won the most challenging solar car race, the SASOL Solar Challenge in South Africa. The solar car covered over 4,000 kilometres during the race. This achievement would not have been possible without the support of a wide range of experts, including those from EnergyVille in Genk. To show their appreciation, the team, along with the winning car, made a stop at EnergyVille in Genk.
The solar car is developed by engineering students from KU Leuven. "We are students, and it’s great that we can collaborate with top research institutions on our journey to becoming better engineers. Through our project and research into battery and solar cell technologies, we are also helping make society more sustainable," says Dries De Saegher of the Innoptus Solar Team.
Batteries and solar cells
A key element of the solar car are the batteries and solar panels. This is precisely the area of expertise of EnergyVille in Genk. “The Innoptus Solar Team has won several world solar races with their innovative solar car, using not only solar power but also wind energy,” says Gerrit Jan Schaeffer, Managing Director of EnergyVille. "EnergyVille is proud to have contributed to this success, thanks to the expertise in solar energy through imec and batteries through VITO. We look forward to the next generation, which will achieve even higher performances!"
Battery technology
VITO/EnergyVille’s experts are specialists in battery technology. They contributed by characterising the properties of the battery cells, conducting tests in the Battery Test Lab (BTL). During relaxation tests, the cells were allowed to ‘rest’ after use to observe how they behaved over time. “In new energy technologies, batteries are crucial,” says Inge Neven, CEO of VITO. “The better the battery’s performance, the more sustainable it is. But this victory is more than just a success for the Innoptus Solar Team; it’s the result of the expertise from all those who contributed. Moreover, the people behind this solar car are the best STEM ambassadors we could wish for. VITO is a silver sponsor of the team, and we are incredibly pleased with this achievement.”
Solar cells
Imec/EnergyVille used its expertise to test the power output of each solar cell provided to the team. For this purpose, they used a specially adapted solar simulator, as a special measurement head was required for accurate readings of the highly efficient back-contact cells. The power control was conducted to ensure only the best-performing cells would be used in the solar panels for the car. The Innoptus team then used EnergyVille’s laminating machine to laminate these high-performance solar cells into panels for their solar car.
“The photovoltaic group at Imec/Imomec, part of EnergyVille, is very proud to have supported the Innoptus Solar Team as a bronze sponsor in the solar aspects of their car, ‘Infinite,’ with which they won the world championship in 2023 and the Sasol Solar Challenge in 2024,” says Ivan Gordon, Department Director of Imomec.
Inspiring young people and researchers
For Mayor Wim Dries, who closely follows the project, the engineers of the Innoptus Solar Team are an inspiration, not only for young people but also for other researchers. "Jeroen Brouwers once wondered whether leaving a mark is the meaning of life. Well, you’re leaving a mark. And yes, you dream. But if you only dream, it remains a dream. However, when you dream together with others, you make it reality."
About the Innoptus Solar Team
The Innoptus Solar Team is a group of Belgian engineering students from KU Leuven, aiming to build the most innovative and efficient solar car. With previous victories in Chile, Australia, Belgium, and their recent triumph in South Africa and at the Circuit de Zolder, the team proves they are at the forefront of global solar car racing. “We build solar cars to race them around the world, but also to showcase the power of green energy and to prove that Belgian technologies and companies are leading in innovation.”
About the Sasol Solar Challenge
There are two major solar car races held worldwide, alternating every year. One takes place in South Africa, and the other in Australia. The Sasol Solar Challenge, held in 2024 in South Africa, challenges student teams from around the world to cover as much distance as possible in eight days, using only solar energy. They follow a fixed route but can extend their distance by driving additional loops along the way.
The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge (BWSC), which takes place every two years in Australia, sees solar cars cover 3,021 kilometres through the Australian Outback from Darwin to Adelaide.
The race consists of two classes of vehicles. In the Challenger Class, solar cars are single-seater. The Innoptus Solar Team competes in this class. The second class is the Cruiser Class, where more practical, multi-seat solar cars compete.
The Belgian solar car, built by the Innoptus Solar Team, has an impressive track record. In 2019, the team claimed their first victory in Australia with ‘BluePoint.’ In 2022, they came second, but in 2023, they left all their competitors behind, winning the race with ‘Infinite.’ Then, on 22nd September 2024, they celebrated their third victory in South Africa.
The Innoptus Solar Team has designed a new solar car for the 2025 race. The design is still top secret, but it’s already known that the car will be much larger, with bigger solar panels, and will focus on stability and handling strong crosswinds in Australia. The car will be unveiled to the public in May.
