Unirac is proud to have partnered with the University of New Mexico (UNM) and Arizona State University (ASU) for the design of the SHADE house as part of the Solar Decathlon competition.

The international collegiate competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, challenges university students from around the nation (and the world) to design and build solar-powered homes over a period of 20 months. Next month, the SHADE house will serve as the executive visitor's suite for former President Clinton's Global Initiative University event in Tempe, Arizona.

"The challenge was to design a solar solution balancing functionality with aesthetics to yield the best architectural solution," said Jeanette Brasher, Senior Applications Engineer at Unirac, who worked with students directly in the development of the solar array on the SHADE house.

"It was great to collaborate with students to determine methods for designing, installing and electrically bonding the array."

Team ASUNM, a combination of each university's acronym, is a collaborative effort between engineering, architecture, and construction students to focus on building materials and energy systems that are appropriate for the desert southwest - a part of the country expected to see continued population growth over the coming decades.

"As a leader in the solar industry, we aspire to play a hand in shaping the future leaders of solar," said Peter Lorenz, CEO of Unirac. "We are privileged to have worked alongside such visionary students."

The solar system on the SHADE house can produce more power than it consumes on an average day. With 310 days of sunshine, New Mexico can utilize the sun's free and abundant resources to lead renewable energy use.

"This was the first time UNM participated in the Solar Decathlon and we are proud of the result," said Dr. Robert Frank, UNM president. "This kind of prestigious competition placed UNM working and competing shoulder-to-shoulder with other excellent Universities."