The Gaza strip has been under siege for ten years but this has done little to hamper the innovation and creativity of two Gazan university students, who have built a small solar powered car, Gaza Online reports.
The tools required to create the car were not easily accessible due to Israel and Egypt’s clamp down on supplies entering the territory. But mechanical engineering students Jamal al-Miqati and Khaled al-Bardawel remained determined, and managed to track down all the necessary parts, eventually presenting the car at the Al-Azhar University campus in Gaza.
The car is powered by two glass panels on the roof, which absorb the sun and transfer its energy to the rest of the car. The battery of the car can be used for five hours without absorbing the sun’s rays.
According to al-Miqati, the idea came about as a way to address Gaza’s fuel crisis.
Israel supplies the majority of fuel to the Palestinian population, and Gaza constantly experiences severe fuel and electricity shortages.
However, the car is not Gaza’s first stint in solar powered energy. Schools, medical centers and hospitals on the strip are increasingly relying on solar power as a means to tackle the ongoing power crisis.
Unfortunately, it’s an expensive alternative. But it’s one that a growing number of Gazans are leaning towards; providing a more reliable source of power than the supply controlled by Israel.
AM
