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| 'Solar 7' nears completion in a Cambridge, Mass., parking lot near the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The house is
now displayed on the Mall in Washington, D.C. Solar 7 |
Students compete to design solar homes
Full-size 'Solar Decathlon' entries populate Washington's Mall Oct. 12-19.
from the October 11, 2007 edition
Page 4 of 4
The 20 universities entered in the Oct. 12-19 Solar Decathlon inWashington, D.C., hail from across the United States and Europe. Theirsolar-powered homes incorporate some interesting new products andgadgets. Among them:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Thehouse walls incorporate Aerogel, a one-way insulating jell sandwichedbetween two sheets of opaque plastic. Aerogel transfers the sun's heatinto water-filled panels, heating the home as well as preventing lossof heat.
New York Institute of Technology
Partof the roof space of the NYIT house features a pond that simulates thegeothermal system that will eventually be installed beneath the homeonce it finds a permanent site location.
Santa Clara University
Givenits location at the heart of Silicon Valley, SCU's design is builtaround a computer that senses interior and exterior conditions andmakes appropriate adjustments for comfort and energy efficiency.Windows darken or lighten depending on the needs for light and warmth.SCU will also be the only school to use bamboo I-beams, since they weredeveloped by a SCU professor who has a patent pending on the product.
University of Colorado
The760-square-foot home of the two-time Solar Decathlon winner will beexpanded by 1,400 square feet and given to the team's primary sponsor,Xcel Energy, which will use it as a permanent research and educationfacility. Instead of traditional solar panels, their house is the onlyone to feature a roof that is covered with giant solar roof shingles.The team also circulates water beneath the shingles to cool the cellsas well as to create hot water to use in the house.
How they will be judged:
Architecture (200 points)
Engineering (150 points)
Market Viability (150 points) – choose a target market; cost of house must be competitive with that market
Communications (100 points) – communicate technology and products effectively to the public
Comfort Zone (100 points) – maintain uniform, comfortable temperature and humidity
Appliances(100 points) – Clean dishes in a dishwasher for four days, cook a mealfor the judges, wash and dry a dozen towels for two days, use a TV forup to six hours a day, and run a refrigerator.
Hot Water (100 points) – Heat 15 gallons of hot water to 110 degrees F. in 10 minutes or less.
Lighting (100 points) – Must be functional, energy efficient, and aesthetically pleasing.
Energy Balance (100 points) – All energy must be supplied by solar power
GettingAround (100 points) – Electricity generated by the house's solarsystems is used to charge an electric car and drive it for as manymiles as possible.
The winner will be announced Oct. 19.
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