It is hard to believe that the Solar Decathlon Africa is less than one year away! At this phase in the project, we are choosing our mechanical systems and acquiring physical materials and products that will be in the Inter House. One of our major considerations when making these decisions is actually where things are coming from. With the competition in Ben Guerir, Morocco (which is only about 74 km / 45 mi from Marrakech), it makes financial and logistical sense for us to acquire systems and materials in Morocco, which would alleviate some shipping costs. But, we’re finding that some things are going to be made or purchased in Italy or the United States for a number of different reasons, so shipping pieces of the Inter House to Morocco is inevitable.
As the Inter House will represent an international collaboration across Morocco, Italy, and the United States, it contains aspects from each unique culture. Colorado School of Mines is known for its emphasis on engineering for the earth, energy, and environment, so we wanted to utilize Mines students’ expertise in technology to build many engineering components of the Inter House. For example, several HVAC systems, a custom-built clothing drier, plumbing systems, and a Smart House sensor network will be acquired or built in the United States and sent to Morocco next spring. But to ensure we can attain these products and ship them safely, we need your help!
On Wednesday, October 17, 2018 we are launching Shipping Mines to Morocco: a crowdfunding effort through the Colorado School of Mines platform, Gold Mine. Support our mission by donating today, and help us send a shipping container to Morocco for the competition in September, 2019. This campaign will last for 40 days ending on November, 26, so we encourage you to share our donation links to friends and family as well. We thank you for your contribution, and are proud to have community support in our mission to educate the international public about green living and empower students to build a more sustainable future.
