UNITEC Students Shine Brightest in 2015 Solar Decathlon!

Students from UNITEC pose with members of Team MASSCA, which won the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 in the category of Affordability.
Students from UNITEC pose with members of Team MASSCA, which won the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 in the category of Affordability.

TEGUCIGALPA – Students from UNITEC, along with students from Western New England University and Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, collectively Team MASSCA (Massachusetts and Central America), won the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 in the category of Affordability. Eight UNITEC students were co-sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa to travel to Irvine, California for the final stage of competition.

The UNITEC participants are students of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Mechatronics, and each contributed their skills with their international teammates to design, build and operate a solar-powered house that is cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive.  In the final stage of the competition, the team built the house they designed and operated it for one week. Team MASSCA’s collaboration began in October 2013 and their proposal was among the 20 that qualified for the Solar Decathlon 2015 in a world-wide competition with 200 universities.

The Public Affairs Section at the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa supported UNITEC’s students in this important learning experience that promotes international teamwork and exchange of ideas that contribute to a more sustainable future.

UNITEC’s students are Diego Aguilar, Eduardo Cálix, Caleb Espinoza, Ana Hernández, Luis Lemus, Carlos Méndez, Vera Reyes and Octavio Sánchez.