Fanshawe Helps First Light Take Third Place in Solar Decathlon

As Canadian singer Tom Cochrane’s "Life is a Highway" boomed out, an enthusiastic group from Fanshawe watched the team from Victoria University of Wellington’s (VUW) First Light House march up on to the stage to accept the third place trophy for the Solar Decathlon from Richard King of the US Department of Energy.

It has been nearly a year and a half since Fanshawe first became involved with the New Zealand entry to the Solar Decathlon. With students from Fanshawe helping with the original construction in an airport hangar, the reassembly on the Wellington waterfront, the disassembly and packing in New Zealand, the reconstruction on West Potomac Park in Washington, and coming soon, the disassembly for transportation back to New Zealand, Fanshawe has been integral to the success of the New Zealand team.

On September 29, 2011, when the First Light team won the engineering contest, several faculty and team members told us that the engineering win was due in part to the meticulous finishing work of the Fanshawe students and faculty members.

VUW and Fanshawe students and faculty in front of the First Light house.
The house won first place in the Solar Decathlon engineering contest and third place overall.

And again on October 1, when the Market Appeal contest gave New Zealand high points for third place, the assistance that Fanshawe students gave last December with building specs played a key role.

The collaboration will not end with the impressive win. Fanshawe College and VUW are already discussing future projects and articulations.