Autarco panels on their way to the South Pole
Tested under the harshest conditions
Late november Edwin and Liesbeth left for the South Pole for their ‘Clean2Antarctica‘ mission. The first net-zero-energy and zero-waste expedition on the continent, with the aim of generating attention for climate change and inspiring people to take action.
Reaching the geographical South Pole will take the team thirty days and 2400 kilometres, in an ice desert where the sun never sets. So it makes perfect sense that solar energy is selected to power their vehicle. The Solar Voyager consists of a truck and two trailers that are outfitted with ten Autarco modules. Because of the strong reflections from the snow we opted for so-called bifacial panels, where both sides generate electricity. The panels are fixed with a dismountable system, if the wind blows too hard, the top row must be removed so that the trailer does not tip over. With even more wind all modules are taken off and the Solar Voyager is anchored until the storm sets.
Calm after the storm
Mother nature decided that only after eighty kilometers Edwin and Liesbeth had to temporarily halt their journey because of a blizzard. This lasted a day and a half and unfortunately it happened again only a day later. But as Edwin says ” even if we don’t always like turbulence, sometimes we need it, just a little bit. Turbulence can set into motion a new state of things”. Curious about the Wondering about the continuation? You can now follow the Solar Voyager via the live feed.
