We as Team Oculus are participating in a competition named the Solar Decathlon Africa. Originally created in 2002 by the U.S. government to inform the public about renewable resources, the Solar Decathlon is a competition that is held biannually across the world. The competition challenges collegiate teams to design and create a fully functional, zero-waste, solar-powered house. The Solar Decathlon is judged on ten contests that all incorporate a different aspect of the building ranging from the Sustainability to the Communications & Social Awareness. This competition model has been mimicked by other nations.
The U.S. model of the Solar Decathlon has been adopted by nations all over the world in order to spread information about clean energy. The scale of the competition itself has also increased with over 140 teams worldwide and each competition garnering over 18,000 participants. With the added growth, the Solar Decathlon has obtained global recognition including an Honor Award from the National Building Museum in 2010.
The Solar Decathlon also had an outcome of creating new innovative ways to save energy and educating the public about global warming. Studies from the U.S. government’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy has shown that since its inception, the Solar Decathlon has successfully achieved its intermediate outcome of identifying new research ideas for the future. These studies have shown that the Solar Decathlon has served as a form of testing grounds for prototype renewable-energy technologies.
With 2019 fast approaching, there will be three different competitions sites internationally in Hungary, Columbia, and Morocco. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Université Mohammed V de Rabat, Université Moulay Ismaïl, and African University of Science and Technology will form Team Oculus and compete in Solar Decathlon Africa in Morocco in September. The Moroccan competition aims to incentivize sustainable energy in an emerging continent as well as “valorize” the local materials in Northern Africa. The competition itself is expected to have both socio-economic and environmental impact on African development.
In the previous Solar Decathlon competition, WPI received first place in the Energy Performance criterion for its innovative floor tile technology that allowed interior temperatures to stay stable for extended periods of time. The goal for this 2019 competition is to capture that same innovative design to help create a more energy-efficient home and world!
Team Oculus has high hopes for what we can achieve in Solar Decathlon Africa and we can’t wait to keep you updated!
