RACA Journal February 2024 | Page 25

Personality Profile Sponsored by :

HURTER TAKES HIS VARSITY HOBBY TO BUSINESS SUCCESS

Edited by Eamonn Ryan

Warren Hurter ’ s interest is in the solar sector , with a core focus on transportation .

“ y interest started at the University of Johannesburg ( UJ ) many

Mmoons ago , where I was part of a team developing solar-powered

racing cars , which was a lot of fun .” The Solar Car Project at UJ was to promote the development of sustainable engineering design , efficient energy use , environmental awareness and innovation . This project involved the development of ultra lightweight and efficient vehicles for UJ to compete in the Shell Eco-Marathon . “ While at varsity , I successfully built seven such vehicles manufactured from carbon fibre ,” he says .

It served UJ as a platform to promote science , technology and engineering as an exciting career choice , with the primary purpose being to deliver engineering graduates who are equipped to deal with the many challenges in energy innovation .

The 2015 African Solar Drive kicked off in June and saw Ilanga II , the UJ Energy Movement ’ s solar powered electric car , traverse the northern parts of South Africa and cross the border into Namibia and Botswana , gathering and analysing data along the way . The team also successfully engaged with local communities to raise awareness around green technology .

The route commenced in Kimberley , continuing through to Upington , Keetmanshoop , Rehoboth , Windhoek , Walvis Bay , Swakopmund , Buitepos , Kang to finish in Gaborone .

Along the way the team faced several technical challenges which led to some innovative on-the-road engineering feats including redesigning and manufacturing internal components in Windhoek to optimise the motor for the road conditions . This taught the team a valuable lesson in trouble shooting , says Hurter .

The 2015 African Solar Drive was a great initiative for not only promoting solar energy and green technology , but also because it raised awareness around fields of science , technology , engineering and mathematics with hundreds of scholars along the way . The project provided opportunities for UJ ’ s community engagement team to actively engage with schools and local communities through public lectures .

“ This was an experience like no other ,” said Hurter at the time , as team and technology manager . “ Seeing the young children ’ s faces when they saw the car for the first time and having the team see their responses , and for them to realise that this is more than a car . They should feel privileged to be a part of something like this that inspires others . In the end this showed . We finished the trip with a clinical and motivated team who took ownership of the project and will take it forward to the next solar challenge with new ideas and a drive to be the best .”

In his further studies , he has contributed to research papers on a number of topics : ‘ Investigating Warren Hurter . the effects of composite materials in solar cell encapsulation ’, ‘ A sustainable model for problem-based learning in South African schools ’, while his masters ’ research paper was on ‘ Analysing a design and technology development framework through the implementation of a prototype composite vehicle suspension system ’.

Today , Hurter has a master ’ s degree in mechanical engineering , and is currently completing his MBA . Following university , he started his professional career continuing to develop prototype electric and hybrid race vehicles , and thereafter working in the product development space . He now co-owns two companies developing automotive and commercial solar , as well as optimisation solutions for the likes of Shoprite Checkers , Coca-Cola and numerous others .

He has continued breaking new ground in South Africa on the design and development of solar systems for refrigerated transport with his partners in NextDrive , of which he is co-founder and technical director . “ Such systems boast efficiencies exceeding 90 %, compared to traditional engines maxing out at around 25 %, in addition , the reduction in moving parts contributes to lower maintenance requirements .” RACA

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