Education and Technology for a Sustainable Future

Sapienza University of Rome participates in Solar Decathlon Middle East 2018 International Competition. The aim of the team is to design and realize the best sustainable and energy-efficient housing prototype on a real scale. The purpose of the project is to create a Smart Solar House that can guarantee maximum efficiency and effectiveness in the use of technology resources and provide an attractive, accessible and comfortable environment. The present paper wants to analyze the Solar Decathlon Contest from different standpoint, highlighting Smart Systems and Smart People aspects. The paper examines the Solar Decathlon Team Sapienza case study from two different perspectives: 1) from technological point of view, analyzing the role and implementation of the Internet of Things in the Smart House and 2) from a socio-cultural and educational standpoint. In the Solar Decathlon contest the Sapienza University Team try to reach an important goal in two years: build a full-scale prototype of the best and most attractive sustainable, zero energy and smart solar house, acting into a multidisciplinary context, and involving students into a educative process. With the “ReStart4Smart” project, Sapienza accepts the new sustainability challenges of the contemporary society, that require to face different way of design, construct, operate and totally rethink the buildings in which people lives.