Teams from Carnegie Mellon and Penn State universities are among 20 selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to compete in the third annual Solar Decathlon competition to be held October 12-20 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Participating teams will design, build and operate the most attractive and energy efficient solar-powered home.

This year, teams have been selected from the United States, Puerto Rico, Germany, Spain, and Canada. The Solar Decathlon complements President Bush’s Solar America Initiative, which seeks to make the solar energy cost-competitive with conventional forms of electricity by 2015.

“I am eager to see these students demonstrate how we can better harness clean and renewable solar energy to transform the way we power our homes and businesses,” Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman said. “The technologies and approaches we will see on the National Mall are central to reaching the President’s goal of increasing our nation’s energy security by pushing forward revolutionary technologies that will allow us to become less reliant on imported sources of energy.”

For nine days, the National Mall will be transformed into a showcase for cutting-edge solar and building technologies. For the past two years, teams have been working on the design, research, and testing necessary to construct and power the homes. Homes will be shipped to Washington, DC, and beginning October 3, a “solar village” will take shape.

Beginning on October 12, teams will be judged in 10 areas encompassing architecture, engineering, livability, comfort, power generation for space heating and cooling, water heating, and powering lights and appliances.

The Decathlon’s prototype solar homes are zero-energy, yield zero carbon, and will include the latest high-tech solutions and money-saving benefits to consumers, without sacrificing comfort, convenience, and aesthetics.

Each house must also produce enough “extra” energy to power an electric car. An overall winner will be announced October 19.

In both 2002 and 2005, the Solar Decathlon drew more than 100,000 visitors to National Mall. Visitors can tour the homes daily to learn about design and construction techniques. Advanced technologies on display will also include: translucent walls used for day lighting; structural insulated panels for improved insulating value; solar heated floors; fiber optic cables attached to solar collectors to transmit light inside a house; and integrated solar photovoltaic power generation systems.

The Solar Decathlon is sponsored by DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, in partnership with its National Renewable Energy Laboratory, who manages the event.

The American Institute of Architects, BP, Sprint, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, and the National Association of Home Builders are title sponsors.

For more information, visit the Solar Decathlon website and the Carnegie Mellon and Penn State solar decathlon team webpages.

Online Video: Penn State’s First Solar Decathlon Home Subject of Video

Link: Pittsburgh Solar Decathlon Project Team Heads for Washington

5/4/2007