Two universities and two community colleges in Orange County are working together on next year’s entry for the Solar Decathlon at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine.
Students from Chapman University, University of California-Irvine, Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College have formed “Team Orange County” to build the home, called Casa del Sol.
“It’s a first for [the schools] to come together as a team,” said Irvine Valley spokesperson Diane Oaks.
The Solar Decathlon is a project of the U.S. Department of Energy where college student teams design and build solar-powered houses. The event was held for several years on the National Mall and moved to the Great Park for the first time last year.
Presidents from the four schools are set to attend a groundbreaking planned for this Friday at Irvine Valley College, along with officials of the City of Irvine officials and Emile Haddad, chief executive of Aliso Viejo-based FivePoint Communities, developer of the Great Park Neighborhoods residential lots; and Alex McDonald, a UCI student who will serve as project manager for Casa del Sol.
