2004 Melbourne Sustainable Living Festival

AURORA 101 BASKS IN 2000 KILOMETRES OF BLAZING SUN
THE SUSTAINABLE LIVING FESTIVAL IN MELBOURNE

13-15 FEBRUARY 2004

The Sustainable Living Association staged its second annual festival at the fantastic Melbourne meeting place of Federation Square on 13-15 February 2004. Dedicated to bringing sustainability issues into mainstream life of Melbourne residents the Association could not have chosen a better venue.

Aurora 101 looks right at Federation Square
Aurora 101 looks right at Federation Square

Federation Square has become Melbourne's favourite meeting, eating, and strolling place. Defined by meticulous and eye-catching architecture it's a place that is fast outgrowing the controversy of its creation. Melbourne is beginning to love it.

The Festival organisers anticipated an attendance of 70,000 people over the 3 days, the final count came in at 115,000. This was in spite of the 41 degree temperatures reached on Saturday and the thunderstorm on Saturday night.

Reaching 41 degrees
Reaching 41 degrees

The featured Federation Square Plaza area was dedicated to high efficiency cars. The Aurora 101 solar car was in the most eye-catching position followed by a 2 seat electric car from Switzerland named SAM. This had an electric drive system designed at the Biel University home of the famous Biel solar car team. Finally Honda displayed their second generation hybrid Honda Civic, soon to go on sale in Australia. Honda has also had a successful history in solar car development being world champions in 1993 and 1996.

Aurora member Bill Bennett works the ATA display CAMS Motor Sport Operations Manager Peter Ryan
Aurora member Bill Bennett works the ATA display CAMS Motor Sport Operations Manager Peter Ryan

Thirteen Aurora members volunteered to roster for stand duty over the three day period and enjoyed answering questions and talking about travelling on free sunshine. The sun conditions were so good over the duration of the Festival that the super efficient Aurora 101 solar car could have travelled over 2000 kilometres in the 3 days. Instead it just quietly attracted plenty of attention, provided shade and probably tired of the main questions. These were 'how does the driver get in ?', 'how hot does the driver get?', and 'how fast?'.

Well, how do you get in?
Well, how do you get in?

The driver climbs in through the hatch by climbing over a special bridge so as not to step on the solar cells. Providing the car is moving there is a good airflow to the driver through specially designed air ducts under the car. The car can achieve over 90 km/h on sunshine, has achieved a top speed of 145 km/h and averaged 92 km/h in the 3000 km World Solar Challenge last October.

Mark Gilligan explains how to drive a solar car
Mark Gilligan explains how to drive a solar car

The other big point of interest was the Gochermann built, Galium arsenide solar celled solar panels used on the Aurora 101 solar car. These feature shingled cell layout, laminations top and bottom [a lot of peoples' names underneath] and reinforcement by a balsa wood grid. Its very specialised.

The Aurora members especially liked being near the sound stage which featured entertainment from about 100 performers over the 3 day period.

Chinese business visitors check out Aurora 101
Chinese business visitors check out Aurora 101

The Festival featured 130 exhibitors with many worthwhile ideas and products to allow ordinary people to contribute to a more sustainable future. If you missed this one plan to be there in 2005.

The Aurora Vehicle Association thanks the organisers for doing a great job.