EN 
PT_BR 
Solar energy and boat racing are two subjects that for almost everyone have no connection whatsoever. However, a project that aims to encourage the development of technologies for renewable sources among young people shows exactly the opposite.
Between the 16th and 22nd of March, the DSB (Desafio Solar Brasil) arrives for another edition of the solar-powered boat competition, in the São Francisco cove, in Niterói (RJ).
The UFRJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) extension project, in partnership with the City of Niterói, brings together hundreds of students, technicians and teachers in teams from across the country every year, with the aim of putting their prototypes into practice. of solar-powered vessels.
In this edition, there will be 15 teams competing to find out which vessel has the best performance and which teams have the best strategy and mastery over the assembly and construction of photovoltaic boats.
The competition includes a morning test and an afternoon test every day of the week. The public will be able to get to know the vessels up close, in addition to participating in extension activities, lectures and video exhibitions that will take place in parallel with the tests.
In an interview with Solar Channel, Ricardo Bogéa, operations coordinator at DSB, commented that the project has existed since 2009 and that it was inspired by events that have been taking place outside Brazil for a longer time, such as in the Netherlands.
“Our objective is to encourage students, together with their teachers and technicians, to prepare the boats, from construction to the manufacturing process with solar panels. It’s a way to motivate students to specialize and become aware of the importance of environmental issues,” he said.
Bogéa also explained that DSB works with the most varied types of students, ranging from technical or military high school to postgraduate students. “We also encourage the writing of scientific articles and research, which greatly encourages them to even write dissertations on the topic of solar energy”, he highlighted.
Champion boat participates in the DSB for the 4th time
One of the solar-powered boats being finalized to participate in the event is that of a group of students from UFES (Federal University of Espírito Santo), who will participate, for the fourth time, in the DSB.
The team has around 70 people involved in creating the product, which is part of the Ufes Technological Center extension project, called the Solares Project. The group of students has participated in this competition since 2017, having won first place once the following year, in 2018.
