Virginia Tech’s FutureHAUS Dubai Team was awarded 1st Place in the 2018 Solar Decathlon Middle East Competition held in Dubai, UAE. The solar house is made of customizable “cartridges” which are manufactured separately and joined together on-site to complete the construction process. Virginia Tech’s house featured several innovative ideas including counters that raise and lower to accommodate different user heights and an automatic hatch that can track and accept drone deliveries of mail and packages.
During the design and build phase, Greg Simon, of State Electric’s Christiansburg branch, worked directly with several of the students and faculty to understand their concepts and offer practical solutions. Matt and Elif, two students of the Virginia Tech College of Engineering, were common visitors to State Electric during the final stages of the build. “They didn’t know what to ask for, so I had to figure out what they needed and show them the material to make sure it would work” said Simon.
The hard work paid off as Team Virginia Tech was able to beat out fourteen other colleges from across the globe to claim the top prize. Being the sole United States based competitor offered a little extra gratification. “It feels good to be a part of an American house winning” Simon said.
