ST. LOUIS — The Electrical Connection is giving a boost to the Missouri University of Science and Technology solar house team. On April 1, 2013, it partnered with Ameren and Halcyon Shades to co-sponsor a fundraiser that raised $13,300 to support the school’s 60-student team competing in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon 2013. The event was hosted by Ameren at its headquarters at 1901 Chouteau Ave. in Downtown St. Louis.

The Electrical Connection, a partnership of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local One and the St. Louis Chapter, National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), was joined by Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 and Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562 in supporting the fundraiser.

Emily Vandivert, project manager for the solar house team said the home’s 21 solar panels have arrived at the Missouri University of Science and Technology campus in Rolla, Mo. In early May, she anticipates the walls for the house will be erected.

Missouri University of Science and Technology will be competing with 20 other schools worldwide, including the Vienna University of Technology in Vienna, Austria; University of Southern California; University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Stanford University; Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic; several teams pooling talent from multiple universities; and more.

The 2013 Solar Decathlon will be hosted by the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, Calif. Once the 1,000-square-foot solar home is completed, the Missouri University of Science and Technology will ship it to the contest site for reassembly. The houses are evaluated by judges in 10 categories encompassing affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. More information on the competition can be found at www.solardecathlon.gov.

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Left to right, Missouri University of Science and Technology solar house team project manager Emily Vandivert accepts a $13,300 donation from Jim Curran, executive vice president, Electrical Connection, which partnered with Ameren and Halcyon Shades to raise the funds.