Solar Decathlon AFRICA

The first African Solar Decathlon will be held in September 2019 in the green city Mohamed VI of Benguerir, Morocco. The location of the site that is going to host the three-week event is juxtaposed to both Green Energy Park and Green & Smart Building Park. Under the aegis of the Moroccan Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water, and the Environment (MEMEE) and organized by the Moroccan Research Institute in Solar Energy and New Energies (IRESEN) and Mohammed VI POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY (UM6P), this competition is aligned with the Moroccan objectives: To conceptualize low energy-consuming buildings that reach the bid of net zero energy buildings. In order to emphasize the significance of Solar Decathlon AFRICA, the contestants have to integrate regional sustainable raw materials while working on the components of the building. It is strongly recommended to enhance the African specificities. Contestants from around the globe are invited to compete in building solar-powered houses that are highly energy-efficient, affordable, and comfortable to live in.

This competition is aligned with the Moroccan objectives: To conceptualize sustainable low-energy-consuming buildings that reach the bid of net-zero energy building and to increase reliance on renewable energies in the building sector. The competition translates the will of the government to reach high levels of sustainability in its energy sector.

The competition’s goal is to contribute to the knowledge and dissemination of solar and sustainable housing, with the following basic objectives:

Raise awareness of participating students on the benefits and opportunities of renewable energies and sustainable construction and challenging them to think creatively to develop innovative solutions that contribute to energy savings.
Educate the general public regarding responsible energy use, renewable energy, energy efficiency and available technologies to help reduce energy consumption.
Promote the use of solar technologies, including architecturally attractive solar system integration, and enhancing the use of the solar technologies to replace conventional construction materials in the building envelope such as the roof, skylights or facades.
Demonstrate that high performance solar homes can be comfortable, attractive and affordable.

A new spirit of the competition is conceived, and will be adapted to the needs of the African continent. The main objectives are generating knowledge of net zero energy buildings within the emerging continent, highlighting the perks of decentralized solar energy in leaping forward an increasingly electrified continent, speeding up actions on reaching sustainable energy for all Africans, and valorizing the African local materials and knowhow in the building sector. The competition is expected to have environmental, social and economic impacts on Africa.