Solar Decathlon Starts October 9!
Filed Under: Environmental News, Green Technology on September 2, 2009
The Department of Energy (DoE) has announced this year’s participant list for the 2009 Solar Decathlon to take place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The event this year will feature 20 collegiate teams from the U.S., Canada, Germany, Spain, and other countries.
The even is all about designing full models of totally-independent solar-powered homes. The houses must be self-contained (power-wise) and the event is to highlight future green jobs and the design and real-world application of solar homes. Through the detailed engineering of the home’s energy use, including energy-efficient amenities and smart home systems, students will showcase how a modern zero-emissions home can operate without sacrificing modern conveniences.
“As part of the building competition, the next generation of green engineers, architects, designers, and professionals gain valuable experience that will help them lead America towards a clean energy future,” says U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu.
The DoE’s Solar Decathlon takes place October 9-18 on the National Mall in D.C. and has ten individual contests to evaluate the teams’ skills in architecture, home design, and communications. The homes constructed by teams must 
produce enough electricity and hot water from solar sources to perform all of the normal functions of a home: lights, cooking, laundry, dishes, etc. This includes normal home electronics (computers, TVs) and air conditioning and heating.
A new net-monitoring contest this year will also evaluate the home’s ability to produce not only its own power, but extra power for the “grid.”
Most of the teams involved have been designing their project for this competition for over two years and many of the participants are graudate-level students who will enter the work force to take on this kind of thing in the real world very soon.
For more information and for a list of the colleges and universities participating, see the official press release at the DoE’s website by clicking here.
