Aggie solar home moved from Bush library to
San Antonio as hub of new research initiative

Texas A&M College of Architecture’s award-winning entry in the 2007 U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon, the solar-powered groHome, is currently being moved from College Station to San Antonio where it will take center stage in a new collaborative sustainable communities research initiative undertaken by the Texas A&M University System.

In San Antonio, the home will be utilized by the Collaboratory for Zero–Impact Self–Sustaining Communities, Neighborhoods, Facilities and Dwellings, a research consortium encompassing a wide range of scholars from disciplines including architecture, engineering, agriculture and life sciences, who are developing sustainable solutions applicable to the built and natural environments.

Originally erected for the October 2007 Solar Decathlon competition on the National Mall in Washington D.C., the Texas A&M groHome was later reconstructed on the grounds of the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum where it has helped educate thousands of visitors on the domestic applications of solar power.

To transfer the architectural and technological icon from the library site to San Antonio, the College of Architecture partnered with the Texas Center for Applied Technology (TCAT), part of the Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES).

“The emerging partnership between the College of Architecture and TEES, combined with the solar home’s relocation, offers an exciting and unparalleled opportunity,” said Jorge Vanegas, interim dean of the College of Architecture.

"The city of San Antonio is eagerly awaiting the Aggie solar home’s next life as a nexus for research and development, as well as a learning center for sustainability,” said Skip Mills, director of the San Antonio operations of TCAT/TEES.

The Aggie groHome garnered first place honors at the 2007 Solar Decathlon, winning the Student Choice Award from the American Institute of Architecture Students and the American Institute of Architects’ Committee on the Environment. The home also took top honors in the Student Building Category in the Lifecycle Building Challenge sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency at the 2007 West Coast Green Conference in San Francisco.

- Posted: May 4, 2009 -