June 24, 2013: Solar Decathlon Team Teaches Fifth Graders About Solar
Engineering Students Provide ‘Virtual Field Trip’ of Solar Home’s Mechanical Room
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Santa Clara University (SCU) engineering students are holding monthly Google+ Hangouts On Air with elementary schoolers in Irvine, Calif., using the live video chats to teach the children about what goes into designing and building a solar home, and allowing the elementary students to ask questions. The SCU Solar Decathlon team is building a 1,000-square-foot home on campus before loading it on trucks and hauling it to Irvine for the U.S. Department of Energy competition set for October.
“We’re really excited for this opportunity to build a home that produces more energy than it uses and love the idea of sharing our passion for sustainability with the next generation,” said mechanical engineering student Brian Grau, ‘15.