The sun was out in more ways than one yesterday as a student-led, solar-powered home project received major financial backing.
The Enmax SolAbode custom-built solar home was unveiled yesterday as Team Alberta gets ready for the Solar decathlon competition in October.
“In addition to the financial contribution that will make sure the house is built, the expertise that Enmax is providing us with their employees is what this partnership really represents,” said Mark Blackwell, project chair.
The solar house is a partnership between more than 110 students and faculty from the University of Calgary, SAIT, Mount Royal College and the Alberta College of Art and Design.
They are the first team from Western Canada chosen to compete with 19 other schools from around the world in Washington D.C. later this year.
“Our assessment is it has an excellent chance of being as good as any entry in the world,” said Gary Holden, CEO of Enmax. “To the extent that it starts to highlight the importance of renewable energy in society is something we are very happy to embrace.”
Blackwell said the team hopes the solar house is completed by the end of July. Then a series of tests will be done before the house is taken apart and sent down to Washington, where it is expected that 150,000 visitors could view the home.
