February 3rd, 2016: Faculty members from Canadian University Dubai (CUD) were in attendance at the recent unveiling of Solar Decathlon Middle East, an international university competition that aims to promote sustainable, energy-efficient living.
Dr. Mohammed Alakhras, Associate Professor and Chair of Telecommunications in the School of Engineering, Applied Science & Technology; Mr. Serkan Gunay, Assistant Professor and Chair in the School of Architecture & Interior Design; Mr. Luca Donner and Ms. Carla Arias, Assistant Professors in the School of Architecture & Interior Design; and Mr. Ryan Sisson, Lecturer in the School of Environment & Health Sciences, were invited by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) to attend the first workshop about the competition held in the UAE.
The Solar Decathlon, which originated in the United States, challenges university teams from around the world to design, build and operate a house that is completely self-sufficient in terms of energy creation and consumption. Dubai will be joining the competition in 2018 and the UAE will become the first country in the Middle East to host the event two years later, in conjunction with Expo 2020.
Extending the initiative to Dubai reflects the growing importance of the UAE on the international stage and will help to support DEWA’s strategic measures towards a green economy. According to Dr. Alakhras, the competition also presents an excellent opportunity for students, academics and industry in Dubai to work together on building a sustainable future.
He said, “This is a multi-disciplinary initiative that will promote collaboration between different professional fields, as well as different sectors of society. At CUD we have academic expertise across a range of relevant disciplines, including engineering, construction, architecture, interior design, energy management, and environmental sustainability, all of which will be important in developing a successful project. We are very enthusiastic about this competition and the opportunity for our students to work alongside industry on such a transformational initiative.”
Participating teams for the 2018 competition will be selected in October 2016 and will go on to develop their designs for a house that uses renewable energy and is equipped with technologies that maximize energy efficiency. Participants will also have to adapt their designs to account for the dust and high humidity experienced in Dubai.
During the final stage of the competition, the teams will assemble their houses and open them up to the general public, while undergoing evaluation against ten different contest criteria. The winning design will showcase the best blend of affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence, with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency.
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