Solar Solutionaries® Winners 2026
We are delighted to announce the winners of our inaugural Solar Solutionaries Challenge!
We are delighted to announce the winners of our inaugural Solar Solutionaries Challenge!
From Ms. Boyette’s class, one entry really stood out – Meadow del Valle designed a solar-powered GPS system for use on a boat. She did a great job using technical language when discussing the size of her battery and solar panel, making it clear that she had meticulously worked through the mathematical aspects of the design.
Over in Rockford, Illinois, students in Stacy Wallace’s STEM class at Gifted Academy at Thurgood Marshall Middle School really dove into this challenge. Tanay Mewada and Miguel Alexander Granados displayed two different prototypes of their foldable solar oven in the video that they submitted. While designing a foldable solar oven, they demonstrated careful consideration by researching and selecting the specific materials required to ensure their concept would function effectively, including access to clean cooking equipment.
The winners for this category, Rushil Patel, Muhammadumar Imran, and Haatim Abdulqader, are also students from Ms. Wallace’s class. We were struck by their sophisticated design and compelling presentation. Their teacher told us:
“Rashil, Haatim and Muhammadumar are so proud of their work on this project. They had several struggles through the project. At one point, a fellow teacher told them it couldn’t be done, but they kept working through the challenges. When they hit a roadblock, they reached out to an electrical engineer who would give them suggestions. The boys put a lot of heart and soul into this project and really learned to work as a team.”
The dedication and passion these students poured into their project are evident in their video, and we look forward to seeing them further explore the world of solar technology!
On the West Coast, we have a talented group of Solar Solutionaries in the Climate Literacy Club at Sylmar Biotech Health & Engineering Magnet, working with teacher Edna Losa. This entry was a collaboration of all 9 students in the club, with the core group leading the way. They designed a Solar Study Shed Hub that addressed everything set by the challenge and went even further. We had to reach out to a solar expert, Electrical Engineer Ruth Nzioka in Kenya, to get some specialized feedback for this group as they looked into using MPPT charge controllers and inverters, which were far beyond the scope of this project.
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