Egypt to Compete in Solar Decathlon

Egypt to Compete in Europe's Solar Decathlon

Europe's Solar Decathlon in Madrid in 2012 will be the first time an African or Middle Eastern nation has qualified for the competition. The American University in Cairo's (AUC) Sustainable Living Interactive Design or SLIDES will represent Egypt, competing against 19 teams from around the world to design and build a sustainable, energy-efficient fully functioning home.

The purpose of this competition is to expand general knowledge that a sustainable option is affordable and practical. The AUC team has implemented traditional Arab architecture in their work and is experimenting with wood chips, palm leaves and papyrus as construction materials. The team is currently raising funds to ship the house to Madrid for the competition in Fall 2012.

The solar decathlon Europe is organized by the Secretary of State for Urban Housing and Development at the Spanish Ministry of Public Works.