About
Team OCULUS is a consortium led by students and faculty members of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI – USA), L’École Nationale Supérieure d’arts et Métiers (ENSAM – Meknes, Morroco), L’Ecole National Superieure d’Informatique et d’Analyse de Systemes (ENSIAS – Rabat, Morocco) and the African University of Science and Technology (AUST – Abuja, Nigeria). The goal of Team OCULUS’ Solar Decathlon project is to demonstrate and realize an affordable, attractive, and effective net-zero energy house powered by the sun. The house will be tailored to the needs of a rural African community.
Why Team OCULUS?
Competition
The Solar Decathlon AFRICA is an international competition that challenges collegiate teams to design and build houses powered exclusively by the sun. The winner of the competition is the team able to score the most points in 10 contests.
On November 15, 2016, the Moroccan Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water, and Sustainable development; the Moroccan Research Institute in Solar Energy and New Energies (IRESEN); and the United States Department of Energy signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the development of Solar Decathlon Africa, a competition that will integrate unique local and regional characteristics while following the philosophy, principles, and model of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon. The competition is planned for September 2019.
This competition takes place during even years, alternating with the U.S.-based competition, Solar Decathlon by agreement between the United States and Moroccan.