Duncan’s Solar Challenge | Education Networks

Duncan’s Solar Challenge

Stage 3

Year 5

Year 6

Welcome
The Challenge
Learning Intentions
Your Mission

Course Creator

Duncan Burck

Sponsor

MCB Business Partners

Program

Net:Zed

Launch Date: July 30, 2026

Design a solar-powered solution for brighter, more sustainable future.

Duncan’s Solar Challenge invites students to investigate how energy from the Sun can be captured, converted and used to solve a real-world problem.

Working in small design teams, students will explore the science of solar energy, examine the factors that affect the performance of solar panels, and design a prototype that uses solar power in a practical way. They will test their ideas, analyse evidence, improve their designs and present their final solution to an audience.

The challenge combines science, technology, engineering, mathematics and design thinking in a hands-on learning experience that encourages curiosity, creativity and collaboration.

The Challenge

Communities around the world need access to energy that is reliable, affordable and sustainable.

Your challenge is to design a small solar-powered solution that could help a person, school or community. Your solution might provide light, move an object, charge a device, power a warning system or support another everyday need.

Your team will need to consider:

who your solution is designed for
what problem it will solve
how it will collect and use solar energy
how well it performs under different conditions
how it could be made more effective, practical or sustainable.

There is no single correct solution. The strongest designs will combine scientific understanding, thoughtful decision-making and evidence gathered through testing.

Learning Intentions

During this learning experience, students will:

explain how sunlight can be converted into electrical energy
investigate the variables that affect solar-panel performance
apply a design process to a real-world challenge
construct and test a working prototype
collect, record and interpret data
evaluate a solution against agreed success criteria
communicate technical ideas to an audience.

Your Mission

Duncan has been asked to develop a solar-powered invention for a community preparing for a future with cleaner energy.

Unfortunately, he has too many ideas and not enough time to test them all.

Your team has been recruited to help.

You must identify a genuine need, develop a solar-powered solution and demonstrate why your design deserves to be selected. Your final proposal must show how the solution works, who it helps and what your team learned through testing.

How can we use energy from the Sun to create a solution that improves people’s lives?

Design and create a prototype that uses energy from a solar panel to perform a useful function.

The prototype must:

respond to an identified user or community need
use a solar panel as its primary source of energy
include an electrical component such as a light, motor, buzzer or sensor
be tested under more than one condition
demonstrate at least one improvement following testing
be presented with evidence explaining the team’s design decisions.

Module 1:

Discovering Solar Energy

Students investigate how solar energy is transformed into electricity and explore the factors that influence the performance of a solar panel.

Module 1:

A World Powered by the Sun

This is about the sun and things.

Module 2:

How Solar Panels Work

solar panels etc.

Central West Orana REZ Incursion Program

Stage 4: 2026

Endorsed by

Issued by

Recognised by

Recognising Effort & Measuring Impact

We recognise the learning and contributions of all participants—teachers, students, and partners—through the issuance of digital badges and credentials across all our programs.

To receive a digital credential, which is endorsed by industry, government, and research partners, students and partners must complete an electronic exit questionnaire. This process allows us to capture valuable insights for continuous improvement across the network.

The value for students lies in the recognition of their achievements, while teachers can use these credentials as validation for professional learning hours, which we support teachers to receive.

For secondary school students, permission from parents and carers will be required. Permission forms, outlining all necessary information, will be available for download in the resources area or provided electronically for teachers to distribute.