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Students Converge in D.C. For 2009 Solar Power Extravaganza

By Alanna Malone

Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza — Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza

Twenty teams of students converged on the National Mall after about two years of designing, planning, and building their fully functional solar-powered homes.

Photo © Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza — Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza

Teams had four days to build and two days to set up utilities so the homes would be ready by the October 8 opening ceremony; members from the University of Kentucky prepare to install solar panels.

Photo © Ismael Martinez/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza — Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza

During a week-long judging period, ten different categories were considered including architecture, market viability, engineering, lighting design, and communications. Here a juror examines Team Missouri's recycled sorghum interior.

Photo © Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza — Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza

The houses were open to the public throughout the competition; a member of Iowa State University’s team shows visitors the adjustable window louvers used to prevent direct heat gain.

Photo © Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza — Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza

Automated shading and krypton-filled glass insulate Team Ontario/BC's home, which placed fourth in the overall competition.

Photo © Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza — Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza

The University of Minnesota’s house was designed to make the most of passive solar sources and keep the heat from escaping with a tight building envelope. The windows (seen left) are triple-paned, low-e, and have special insulating shades.

Photo © Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza — Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza

The University of Arizona team created a passive-heating water wall made of recycled plastic water bottles that actually fill with water to absorb the sun’s heat.

Photo © Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza — Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Gable Home placed second in the overall competition. The team recognized the value of recycled material, using 100-year-old barn wood siding and reclaimed wood from a grain elevator.

Photo © Jim Tetro, U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza — Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza

The Penn State team designed their aptly named “Natural Fusion” home to integrate natural and structural boundaries; plants blend with the sustainably harvested lumber on an exterior wall.

Photo © Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza — Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza

Rice University placed second in the architecture contest for their modern, affordable interpretation of a row house. The galvalume siding is made from 25-35% recycled materials and the partial green wall absorbs solar heat to act as a second skin for the house.

Photo © Jim Tetro, U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza — Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza

This year introduced a new “net metering” contest worth 150 points toward the final result. Team Germany (pictured left) achieved the full 150 points in the net-metering category, boosting them to first place in the overall competition.

Photo © Jim Tetro, U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza — Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza

Team Germany team succeeded in generating surplus energy through maximizing PV production on the cube-shaped home. About 40 single-crystal silicon PV panels coat every space of the roof (pictured far left). About 250 thin-film copper indium gallium diselenide panels envelop the exterior (pictured at left).

Photo © Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza — Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza

Team California’s Refract House took third place in the overall competition with a design that bends the house around a central courtyard as a daylighting strategy to maximize use of the sunny California climate. It also features solar-thermal powered cooling and domestic hot water.

Photo © Jim Tetro, U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza — Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza

A reflection of the “post-agrarian” vanishing of farmland, the team at Cornell University took a risk with the Silo house, which features three connected cylindrical rooms (a kitchen, bedroom, and living room). The exterior is made up of COR-TEN, a steel cladding that corrodes as the outer layer oxidizes.

Photo © Jim Tetro, U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza — Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza

University of Louisiana at Lafayette won the 2009 People’s Choice award with their BeauSoleil home, designed to reflect Cajun culture and innovation. The exterior cladding features a rain screen system that minimizes heat gain by allowing air circulation between the siding and the wall.

Photo © Jim Tetro, U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza — Students Converge in D.C. for Solar Power Extravaganza

People of all ages tour Team California’s Refract House with some taking a break on the courtyard made of reclaimed elm. Besides serving as an invaluable, integrative learning experience for involved students (the architects, engineers, and builders of the future), the Solar Decathlon offers the general public important information about the real-life application of renewable energy and efficiency.

Photo © Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

Recent visitors to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., might have wondered if they accidentally stumbled upon a mobile-home park of the future. Starting October 1, 20 eccentric-looking, solar-powered homes sprung up for the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, a student competition to design and build livable, energy-efficient homes. Twenty integrated-discipline teams from around the world were involved in this year's contest. Team Germany was named the overall winner. Click on the slide show icon to see images of the houses.

The 20 Teams

Cornell University
Iowa State University
Penn State
Rice University
Team Alberta
Team Boston
Team California
Team Missouri
Team Ontario/BC
Team Germany
Team Spain
The Ohio State University
The University of Arizona
Universidad de Puerto Rico
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Kentucky
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Minnesota
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Virginia Tech

KEYWORDS: Solar Decathlon

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