Being Honest
About where Australia’s
energy comes from.
Darcy heads to Darwin to meet up with the Deakin University Solar Team. They’ve built a car powered by the sun, and with grit, late nights, and plenty of teamwork, they’re proving what the future of energy could look like.
I’m excited to be heading to Darwin and Adelaide to catch up with the Deakin University Solar Team – the students behind the solar car we’re proud to sponsor in this year’s Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.
I spend plenty of my time at Alinta Energy working with communities on renewable projects, but there’s something different about seeing this stuff up close. These students are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in design, engineering, and renewable tech – and they’re cracking in with a level of passion and teamwork that’s pretty inspiring.
I’ve been lucky to chat with others in our team who’ve already checked the car out. Back in June, Kimmy Sinsinwar from Merchant Energy joined one of the first track testing days at the Geelong Karting Club. He said it was “a pretty refreshing way to spend a chilly Thursday” — and nothing like a normal workday. The car had only ever done laps of the Deakin carpark before, so seeing it unleashed on the track was a big moment.
Kimmy described the buzz in the air – students darting around, collecting data, tweaking and troubleshooting – with a grassroots, hands-on vibe more like a club project than a formal test. Seeing the car stripped back to the bare engineering gave him a whole new appreciation for the craftsmanship: every cable, bolt, and solar panel perfectly placed. And the price tag? About $500,000 — a touch more than my 2013 Kia Cerato, but thanks to massive leaps in design and efficiency, it’s actually less than half what their first car cost back in 2023.
That kind of passion and progress is exactly why we love these sorts of projects. For me, backing projects like this isn’t just about building a car – it’s about backing people. These legends are the future engineers, analysts, and innovators who’ll be shaping Australia’s energy future while making sure we keep the lights on today.
We talk a lot about the energy transition, but it’s people like this who will make it happen. That’s why we’re putting our support behind ideas and technologies that are practical, scalable, and built to last – and behind the people who have the skills and drive to deliver them.
I can’t wait to meet the team, suss out the car in action, and get behind them as they drive through the guts of Australia – 3,000km from Darwin to Adelaide. It’s projects like this that remind me why I love what I do – and why backing the next generation matters so much.
Being Honest
About where Australia’s
energy comes from.
That’s True Power™.
Acknowledgement of Country
Alinta Energy acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live, work and conduct our business operations. We acknowledge the continuing connections of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to Country and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
