Member for Cunningham Sharon Bird MP and Member for Throsby Stephen Jones congratulated the students and staff of both the University of Wollongong and TAFE Illawarra Institute on their success in the global Solar Decathlon China 2013.

The team has worked incredibly hard to design build, ship and rebuild their unique solar- powered house in China and their victory is very exciting.

The team has shown that the tertiary education system in the Illawarra is not only world- leading but it is world-beating, Ms Bird said.

Mr Jones said that the Team UOW win helps to raise the global profile of the University and the TAFE.

Sharon and I were pleased to meet the team at the Innovation Campus and to support Australias first and only team in the competition all the way through to their victory today, Mr Jones said.

The success of the team will also help to create even more interest in the Universitys Sustainable Buildings Research Centre, built with $25 million in support from the Federal Government.

Ms Bird and Mr Jones said that the teams success was a testament to the hard work of

many people, led by Professor Paul Cooper and Lloyd Niccol.

Retrofitting houses and buildings to improve energy efficiency is of growing importance and todays win shows that the Illawarra will play an important role in setting new standards, Ms Bird said.