Area high school students compete in the WPS Solar Olympics at UW-Oshkosh, May 8, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — UW-Oshkosh was bright with knowledge Wednesday.
Wisconsin Public Service held its 28th annual Solar Olympics for 150 students from across northeast and north central Wisconsin.
The students are from schools that participate in WPS’ SolarWise for Schools program which provides renewable energy lessons.
Then the students take what they learned in the classroom out to the field to demonstrate their knowledge of solar energy by competing in 12 different events throughout the day.
“So the students get a chance to participate in a wide variety of events and individual competitions to test their knowledge of solar energy not only by devices that are powered by the sun like solar race cars, solar cookers, solar water heaters, but also items that are inspired by solar energy, things like photography, solar sculptures, t-shirt designs, advertising campaigns,” explained WPS spokesperson, Matt Cullen.
In true Olympic fashion, students in first, second and third place received gold, silver and bronze medals.
Cullen says the event is part of the company’s larger goal to promote green energy.
“Solar energy is an energy source that we are continuing to add for our customers as we look to provide them affordable, reliable and clean energy and so the students are getting a chance to see what goes into that process of building large-scale solar facilities or any type of solar facility at all, taking the concepts they’ve learned and understanding more about how that clean energy is produced from solar energy facilities,” he said.
WPS says its SolarWise for Schools program helps maintain solar energy systems installed at 56 participating high schools.
Comments