Students from across Latvia will compete with solar‑powered car and boat models

In just a couple of days, on May 23, hundreds of students from grades 5–12 from across Latvia will gather at the Institute of Solid State Physics of the University of Latvia (LU CFI) on Ķengaraga Street 8 in Riga to participate in the “Solar Cup 2026” competition. The competition offers young people the opportunity to acquire STEM skills in practice by designing and building vehicle models that operate solely on solar energy.

On the day of the competition, participants at the LU CFI premises will compete with self‑built vehicle models in various disciplines — the models will race for speed, as well as compete to determine which can pull the greatest weight. In addition to the competition, entertaining and educational activities are also planned for young people, such as presentations from the Riga Energy Agency, the Latvian Hydrogen Association, and the Latvian Electric Vehicle Association, as well as experiments from the Student Council of the RTU Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology.

Within the framework of the “Solar Cup” competition, young people develop a model idea, create a sketch, select materials, construct, test, and refine the chassis, wheels, and other components of their vehicles. This approach helps develop not only technical skills, but also creativity, critical thinking, problem‑solving, and teamwork — essential competences in the modern labor market.

Each year, the competition demonstrates that interest in technology and renewable energy resources among young people is growing — this year, nearly one hundred student teams have registered for the competition, bringing together 240 students and more than 60 teachers.

Friends of the event – Riga Port, Riga Energy Agency, LU CFI Foundation. The “Solar Cup 2026” is made possible thanks to a donation from patron of the University of Latvia Foundation, Wulf Harder. Excellent prizes will be provided by the competition’s cooperation partners – SEB Bank, RIX Riga Airport, Elektrum, Getliņi EKO, Skrīveru saldumi, Eco‑Buddy, the LACISE project, the FeLow‑D project, the H2VE project, and the H2 Value project, who together promote young people’s interest in science, technology, and sustainability.

Additional information:

www.cfi.lu.lv/sauleskauss

saules.kauss@cfi.lu.lv

About the event organiser: the Institute of Solid State Physics of the University of Latvia (LU CFI) is an internationally recognised leader in materials science and interdisciplinary research in the Baltic Sea region. Currently, LU CFI employs more than 300 staff members, over 100 of whom hold a doctoral degree. LU CFI conducts internationally competitive research, educates students, and provides innovative research solutions for industrial needs.