Blog Posts

Solar Arrayser – Week 8 Blog Post

Published:October 16th, 2026
Category:Fall 2026, Post PDR, Uncategorized

The post-PDR slump. PDR is officially behind us and with that went our glorious team leader (Sofia). Her successor goes by Leo and in his first week we were super productive however, there was no fun team outing, so I had to get creative. Regarding the project we made plenty of advancements in the laser selection and are continuing to work on the mechanical design.

The electrical team, with the help of Dr. Hitomi Greenslet, found an ideal candidate for the laser, so we are in close contact with them to see if we can get a five day trial to begin testing. The mechanical fellas are booting up the old computer and working on CAD drawings/assemblies of the actual gantry systems. Finally Zach and myself hauled over a filthy panel delivered to us by Mr. Jordon from NextEra.

Our immediate actions are getting approved for the laser delivery as fast as possible to get this show on the road. Next week we hope to have answers to our pending questions, and will ask our bosses for opinions on some ideas regarding the mechanical design. Also, the electrical geeks will start thinking about the electrical components of the product and how they will fit in.

Solar Arrayser – Week 7 Blog Post

Published:October 9th, 2026
Category:Fall 2026, PDR Weeks

What a week! From driving through rainstorms to giving each other haircuts, the Solar Arrayser team has been doing it all. Our PDR presentation went swell and included a 30+ minute Q&A where we were given a lot of extra things to consider from the 30 NextEra Energy engineers we presented to. After this presentation we enjoyed a beautiful day at the beach and scurried on back to Gainesville to be ready for class Tuesday!

Our TRIP (Madi) to Palm Beach gave us plenty of feedback that we used to create the feedback memo where we summarized ideas and set new deadlines for sections of the project. For example, we decided it would be best to find the ideal laser sooner since shipping could take a couple of months. We also enjoyed a complimentary sandwich buffet and continued our conversations with the NEE engineers.

Some other stuff we got up to included scarfing down all you can eat at pasta at Olive Garden, I tried Zaxby’s for the first time, and we all enjoyed each others company! Next week we wish to finalize the laser selection, decide what sensors we will use, and create CAD drawings of the gantry system.

Solar Arrayser – Week 6 Blog Post

Published:October 2nd, 2026
Category:Fall 2026, PDR Weeks

This week on the Solar Cleaning Pilot project plenty of developments were made on designs and laser research. We completed and presented our first version of the PDR, adjusted that draft according to the feedback we got, and even spent team bonding time unrelated to the project.

Our laser research has helped us determine that a 532 nm laser may be the most promising choice, so we began requesting quotes for commercial laser and even haggled to get a 50% discount, The mechanical team is working on creating CAD drawings rather than our beautiful drawings. Together we are making substantial progress towards our final design recommendations.

Outside of the project we met and enjoyed curly fries, trivia, pool, and fun times. Unfortunately, the Solar Arrayser team did not defeat all other teams, but will continue to work towards winning everything. We did learn one of us is a young pool prodigy, another knows the peak time to be on Tinder, and as a team we are decent at trivia.

Next week, we are wandering down to Palm Beach Gardens to visit NextEra Energy Headquarters where we will reveal our final PDR. We are all super excited to spend five hours in a van and check in next week to see how it went.

Solar Arrayser – Week 5 Blog Post

Published:September 25th, 2026
Category:Designing, Fall 2026

After another amazing week Solar Arraysers have started designing the product. We actually split into two subgroups, mechanical and electrical, where one team focuses on the gantry system and the other focuses on the electrical systems. Plenty of brainstorming and research occurred this week and using our liaisons’, Dan and Joe, feedback we determined it was best to design a modular gantry system. This was a massive breakthrough since it changes our final design and helps us focus on the smaller details of the project.

We have done plenty of researching regarding the laser specs and are started to narrow down the ranges for wavelength, pulse durations, repetition rate, power, and energy densities. This extensive research will allow us to buy a laser and test if we can successfully remove biofouling from the solar panels.

Other than research and brainstorming, we completed a Preliminary Design Review draft and are ready to share that with out peers for next week. The week ahead we will be presenting our PDR to our peers and coaches to take that feedback and make a final product that is ready to be presented to our liaisons in Palm Beach Gardens. We will also continue working on our designs and analysis of laser literature.

Solar Arrayser – Week 4 Blog Post

Published:September 18th, 2026
Category:Career Week, Fall 2026

This week Solar Arraysers established a strong foundation to begin the design process by meeting with the liaison engineers to receive the solar panel specs, access to NextEra Energy teams, and review our Product Design Specifications. We tried focusing on all the external factors of the project to develop valuable ideas for the prototype.

Being the first group to go on an onsite visit, we presented the entire process to the class from requesting travel to picking up/dropping off the cars, answering any questions that came up. Apart from that, we also created a shared research folder and idea generation document.

Outside of class, it was Career Week! NextEra Energy had Sharon come recruit, and she invited us to share a coffee with her at the Reitz. We had a great time, asking tons of questions regarding the project which she had plenty of great answers to.

Next week we plan to continue our research, establish a team project plan, create a PDR draft, and schedule a time for the PDR presentation.

Solar Arrayser – Week 3 Blog Post

Published:September 14th, 2026
Category:Fall 2026, The Beginning

After a busy week Solar Arraysers have successfully met with our coach, Joe (the inventor of our product), visited a NextEra Energy facility, and had dinner with our liaisons Dan and Nico where we all enjoyed a tower of onion rings. 

On our visit to Horizon Solar Energy Center Joe, Dan, and Nico gave us their point of views of the project, shared ideas, and clarified our uncertainties. We also got to go out on the field and see how much they would benefit from our product. 

Outside of class we met to complete a couple assignments including the Product Design Specifications where we determined the features we need including a pre-cleaning system, mounting mechanisms for 2-axis movement, and a biofoulant detection system. 

For next week we are planning on researching how pulse lasers work and getting required documentation from liaisons to begin brainstorming designs.

Solar Arrayser – Week 2 Blog Post

Published:September 14th, 2026
Category:Fall 2026, The Beginning

Solar Arraysers started off on the right foot by meeting with each other, setting up meetings with our coach and liaisons, scheduling a visit to a NextEra Energy facility, and creating an initial team structure. 

We decided on initial team roles and thought it was best to review our performances after a month and swap roles if needed. To begin we assigned: Sofia (Team Leader), Madison (Meeting Facilitator/Timekeeper), Anthony (Meeting Scribe), Leo (Finance and Travel Facilitator), Erick (Web Blog Editor), Steven (Research Librarian), and Zach (Template and Design Manager). In our team meeting we also decided our team name (Solar Arraysers) and even created a logo. 

Our immediate tasks include the onsite tour, getting a better understanding of what the project is asking of us, and completing our lab safety training with Larry.