CFA helps Solartaxi on its way

Allan Cracknell and the Solartaxi

Swiss adventurer Louis Palmer arrived in Melbourne last weekend to showcase his solar powered round-the-world vehicle at the Sustainable Living Festival. Louis got some CFA help along the way, with Allan Cracknell and other members of Bairnsdale Fire Brigade helping recharge the car’s solar batteries as it travelled through the southeast.

“We hadn’t arranged anything with them but they saw the activity around the station and dropped in,” Allan said. “We’re pretty visible there on the main street. They hadn’t visited a fire brigade before so they were interested to see our set up and hear about the volunteer component. They recharged their solar batteries at the station so we learned about the process of them plugging into the electricity grid but staying carbon neutral.”

The Solartaxi pulls a trailer carrying high-efficiency solar panels that generate about half the electricity needed to run the car. The other half is generated through solar panels on top of the headquarters of sponsor Swisscom, the largest purchaser of wind and solar energy in Switzerland, and reaches the Solartaxi through the grid. The grid works like a bank so Louis can withdraw against his earlier deposits when travelling at night or on a cloudy day. The Solartaxi recharges its batteries at Swiss Embassies whenever possible.

“The car travels an average of 50 km/h so we thought we’d escort them safely out of town,” Allan said. “Once we reached the outskirts, we put on the lights and sirens to see them off.”

(left to right)At Bairnsdale Fire Station, members Lieutenant Peter Baylis, Joan Young, David McGrath and Louis Palmer, the Solartaxi driver.

Louis left Lucerne, Switzerland in July 2007. He will travel at least 50,000 km through 50 countries from west to east around the world , and is due to finish in December this year. He arrived in Australia in Sydney and travelled to Canberra and Melbourne, stopping off regularly along the way to talk to locals about environmental and sustainability issues and promote solar power. He will also travel to Adelaide for the Solar Cities Congress, and then on to Perth.

“As a regular citizen, I cannot change the world but I can demonstrate just how dire the global climate situation has become and how many sophisticated solutions to lower the greenhouse gases already exist,” Louis said. “The solar taxi should rekindle hope and a zest for life, set an example to counteract resignation and stimulate reflection. And show that every single one of us can take a step towards preserving our planet.”

To find out more, visit http://www.solartaxi.com