STIIX Solar Energy Project: Engineering with Light
The STIIX Solar Energy Project places students in the heart of STIIX-Ville’s sustainability initiative. Engineers in training must design and test solar-powered devices by converting sunlight into electrical energy, examining real trade-offs of renewable design, and reflecting on how society uses clean energy.
Over approximately 2 hours of guided instruction, learners work through a full engineering design cycle. The curriculum includes five scaffolded videos — covering introduction, academic principles, how to build, testing & evaluation, and a career spotlight. They explore photovoltaic technology, circuit design, energy efficiency, and power output through hands-on experiments.
In the build phase, students prototype solar-powered models using STIIX components and simulated solar panels. They test their systems, gather data on energy output under different light conditions, and refine their designs to optimize performance. As they iterate, they learn how variables such as panel angle, surface area, load, and wiring affect power generation and efficiency.
Educators benefit from a complete toolkit: slide decks, design-logs, evaluation guides, worksheets, and reflection prompts aligned to NGSS standards (e.g. energy transfer, engineering design). This structure ensures both rigorous learning and smooth classroom implementation.
but powerful STEM unit.
Bring structure and excitement to hands-on learning with STIIX-Ville — your digital hub for project guides, assessments, and student progress tracking.
What’s Included in the Box:
- STIIX structural building sticks and connectors
- Simulated solar panels / PV modules
- Wiring components for circuit building
- Load materials to test power (e.g., small motors or LEDs)
- Build-log templates & design sketch worksheets
- Testing & evaluation guide (for measuring power output and efficiency)
- Reflection prompts & redesign planning tools
- Teacher lesson slide deck & project guide
- Instructional videos (5 modules: Intro, Academic, How-To, Testing, Career)
