COP22: Morocco to Host First Solar Decathlon in Africa in 2019, US Department of Energy

Washington, 14/11/2016 (MAP), The U.S. department of Energy announced, on Monday in Washington, that Morocco will host the First Solar Decathlon Competition in Africa in 2019.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will sign Tuesday a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Morocco’s Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water, and Environment (MEMEE), and the Research Institute in Solar Energy and New Energies (IRESEN), for Morocco to host a Solar Decathlon Africa in 2019, it said.

The Solar Decathlon is a university competition, created by the U.S. DOE, which challenges teams to compete across 10 different categories including: design, construction, and operation of solar-power, energy efficient homes, it added.

Competitions have been held almost every other year in the United States since 2002, and since 2010 have been held in Europe, China, and Latin America.

This effort is also intended to help catalyze the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies in the region by providing opportunities for workforce development and training, public outreach and education, and technology testing and demonstration.