A solar-powered car sponsored by SolarWorld, the largest U.S. solar manufacturer for more than 35 years, will visit the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), a research institute of the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Cocoa, Fla., on March 19.

The visit is the final U.S. stop on the vehicle's 21,000-mile quest to circle the globe, propelled only by the sun's rays. The SolarWorld Gran Turismo (GT), a collaboration between SolarWorld and Bochum University of Applied Sciences in Germany, is a two-seat sports car powered by roof-integrated solar panels.

The GT's circumnavigation of the planet, a first for an automobile directly powered by renewable energy, is expected to set a "Guinness Book of World Records" record for the longest distance covered by a solar car.

At 2 p.m. March 19, SolarWorld and the vehicle's drivers and crew - the college students who developed and designed the SolarWorld GT - will host a reception showcasing the vehicle and awarding one audience member the chance to ride in the SolarWorld GT. The one-hour event is open to the public and will take place at the FSEC office at 1679 Clearlake Road in Cocoa.

"The SolarWorld GT is an ambassador for sustainable personal transportation, reminding us that the power to shift our driving habits away from dirty fossil fuels is within our grasp," said Kevin Kilkelly, president of SolarWorld Americas, the company's commercial unit based in Camarillo, Calif.

"The vehicle's visit to FSEC, an esteemed research institute that has been promoting America's energy independence for more than 35 years, is especially fitting. Our organizations have a history of collaboration on solar projects across the Sunshine State."

In 2011, FSEC received a grant to administer the SunSmart Schools Emergency Shelter program, which provides solar energy systems and educational opportunities to nearly 100 Florida schools and colleges.

At each participating institution, Vergona Bowersox Engineering is installing SolarWorld solar panels to reduce electricity costs, serve as generators during power outages and enhance student learning opportunities related to science and renewable energy. About half of the installations are complete, including one at the UCF/Brevard Community College-Cocoa Campus that is host to the SolarWorld GT exhibition.

The event at FSEC marks the sixth stop on the SolarWorld GT's 3,774-mile cross-country road trip that originated in California and will culminate in South Carolina. Previous stops have included University of California Santa Barbara, SolarWorld's commercial hub in Camarillo, Arizona State University in Tempe, Texas Christian University in Fort Worth and the joint Florida A and M University-Florida State University College of Engineering in Tallahassee.

The SolarWorld GT began its trans-world journey in Australia and New Zealand in October 2011, covering more than 3,100 miles before shipping to the United States in December. Following the U.S. leg, the vehicle and its crew will travel through Europe, Africa and Asia before finishing in Australia in late 2012.