Photos: Solar racers gain speed Down Under

The Panasonic World Solar Challenge, a race across the continent of Australia that takes place every two years, concluded its 20th competition over the weekend.

The event was founded in 1987 with the intent of encouraging private teams to work together and push developments in the field of solar-powered vehicles.

The Nuon Solar Team -- that's their vehicle pictured here -- comes from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. It entered this year's competition as three-time champion and was looking to win yet another title. The 11-member team includes students in aviation and aerospace engineering, microelectronics, industrial design, biomedical engineering, and electrical engineering. The team is named after its primary sponsor, an energy company called Nuon. They began work on their entry, called Nuna4, more than a year ago, in September 2006.

Credit: Panasonic World Solar Challenge