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20 teams compete to see who can build the best--and most practical--solar-powered home
September 23, 2011 | 7
Oddly shaped homes sprout like mushrooms across a rainy corner of Washington, D.C., parkland, each a contestant in the nation's fifth solar decathlon.
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The innovative entries, like this cocoon-shaped model of the solar home from the University of Hawaii, aim to maximize points in each of the 10 categories, including how much electricity the house can produce....[More]
Maximizing electricity production from sunshine is the reason for putting solar panels on both sides of the roof of the house built by Appalachian State University, team member Jacqueline Stewart explains....[More]
The most obvious attribute of most of the homes are the broad swaths of solar panels, like the ones arching over the domed roof of Team Canada's entry being installed here.
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In order to connect all the houses to power supplies, an electric grid had to be laid down in the grass of West Potomac Park.
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The competition isn't just about solar, it's also about design, efficiency and affordability—attributes Team New Jersey tried to maximize using prefabricated walls being test assembled here in Newark, N.J....[More]
In a bid to improve air flow—and thereby energy efficiency—Team Belgium employed steel gratings as floors.
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One of the 10 events is communications—judging how well participants, like Noel Harrison of Team Tidewater (Virginia) pictured here, explain the home's innovations.
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Each student team raced to finish construction in time for the opening of the competition on September 23. Jacob Moberg of Team Florida takes a well-deserved rest after his house is done.
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7 Comments
Add CommentHaving a solar challenge in Washington state is a challenge, indeed! How about rain conservation? Waterwheel generation?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat lousy pictures?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI know there is lot of pictures, but they didn't show the most of the homes insides. There was just took much happening in the pictures to focus on what the homes looked like.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHaving been to one I see how much time and work goes into every home. It is in Washington DC (not the state) and the pictures were good.All students in all of the houses from first place to last did a good job and were helpful with any questions I asked.I think this show should be put on all over the US to help everyone get hands on learning to make us more energy free.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe time for solar PV has come. Prices have dropped ... and over the lifetime of a system the price paid is somewhat less than the cost from the utility. My power is costing me about 10c/kWh as opposed to 10c-32c/kWh I would buy from the utility. Of course the down side is I had to pay the cost up front ... and solar will continue to cost less and less over time. Solar for hot water heating is even less....and the ROI is only a few years.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is yet another example of the BS over solar it is not cost effective & giving subsidies is foolish at best . When you have a product that is a viable product in the marketplace then solar is an alternative Energy today it is nothing but a Gov Subsidized Novelty. "my power costing me" the problem it cost the rest of USA Citizens also. Give this money to research and the rest will bloom as any other awesome invention did & will. Now we are throwing money away for what will be a billion $ cost to taxpayers when these companies pushing this "lease" deal can't make a profit & Bail out . The we the Taxpayers will be stuck with the bill . More money taken from further research to save this planet & the Fools inhabiting it (including myself ! ),
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisExcellent proposal. The future is the ecology and science to keep! I would love to live in a house ecological!
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