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WASHINGTON, DC, US, October 12, 2005 (Refocus
Weekly)
Eighteen university and college teams have
assembled a ‘solar village’ on the National Mall in downtown
Washington.
The Solar Decathlon involves the design, construction and
operation of attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered
buildings, with judging based on ten contests that range from
architecture and livability, to how well the solar homes provide
energy for heating and cooling, hot water and lights. Each house
must also install sufficient PV panels to power an electric car.
“These future engineers and architects are developing the most
innovative cutting edge technology,” says energy secretary Samuel
Bodman. “Although the homes may seem fun and futuristic, the
materials they use are available to anyone. These homes are living
demonstrations of the transformative power of innovation. They
demonstrate that we can have homes today that use less energy
without giving up any of the comforts we now enjoy.”
The teams from the United States, Canada, Spain and Puerto Rico have
been working on their homes for two years, in preparation for the
eight-day competition. The highest points (200) is awarded for
architecture, with 100 each for dwelling, documentation,
communications, comfort zone, appliances, hot water, lighting,
energy balance, and getting around.
The U.S. consumes 97 quadrillion Btu of energy each year, of which
the residential building sector accounts for 21%. “There are many
simple ways to save energy, and many relatively simple ways to
generate energy from renewable sources, such as the sun,” explains
the Department of Energy, the primary sponsor of the Solar
Decathlon. “Solar energy technologies are clean and significantly
reduce pollutant emissions versus other options, and solar energy is
renewable, so we can count on that energy source as long as the sun
shines.”
The competition involves innovative approaches to home design, such
as the University of Colorado’s house that is constructed with
wheat, corn, flax, sunflower, canola, coconut and coffee. The New
York Institute of Technology uses a hydrogen fuel cell to store
solar energy from a roof-mounted photovoltaic system, and the
Florida International University home has windows and doors designed
to withstand hurricane force winds.
Other teams include California Polytechnic State University,
Universidad de Puerto Rico, Concordia University & Université de
Montréal, Cornell University, University of Maryland, Crowder
College, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, University of
Michigan, University of Missouri-Rolla & Rolla Technical Institute,
Carnegie Mellon - University of Pittsburgh & The Art Institute of
Pittsburgh, University of Texas at Austin, Rhode Island School of
Design, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University,
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and Washington State University.
The solar village is open to the public, and energy-efficient
workshops are offered.
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