Latest Innovations In Solar Powered Houses

Selected from around the earth, university teams built sustainable houses in the solar village, as an entry into this year’s U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon Competition.

Twenty teams arrived at the National Mall, Washington, D.C. to compete against each other in designing, building and operating the most attractive and best solar-powered, energy-efficient house.

The houses were judged on points ranging from architecture, lighting design to comfort zone. The public were invited to view the most powerful combination of solar energy, energy efficiency and the best in home design.

The challenge consisted of three major phases. Designing and constructing the house, using innovative, high-tech elements in ingenious ways. The students had to raise the funds and work with the contractors. This area is where the team is either made or broken.

In Washington the teams rebuilt their solar homes on site, in the National Mall. Then it was open for public inspection.

The Solar Decathlon has been created so as to be a learning curve for the students in green building technologies. It also raises the public awareness of renewable energy and energy efficiency. The Decathlon assists energy technologies to reach the marketplace quicker, through the research and development required for the competition.

In promoting an integrated 'whole building design' to the project, the Decathlon push's both engineering and architecture students to form a working relationship.

The ultimate aim is to produce a zero-energy house for the home owner.
In 2007 Germany took home the prize. A feat they managed to repeat this year.

Many of the team members came from the Technische Universitat Darmstadt (architecture students). The German team was a very small one, with only 24 members. Their two-storey cube shaped house, completely covered by solar panels, produced surplus power, although there were three days of rain, during the two-week contest.

Team Germany's surplus power production earned the Net Metering award, which carried the greatest weight at 150 points. Team Germany also won the Comfort Zone contest for 100 points by best maintaining a comfortable temperature and humidity in their home. Construction costs around $650,000-$850,000.

Preparation for the ten point Solar Decathlon 2011 is already under way.

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Dr Wendy Stenberg-Tendys and her husband are CEO's of YouMe Support Foundation (http://youmesupport.org) provide high school education grants for children who are without hope. You can help in this really great project by taking a few minutes to check it the Tropical Island Treasure Chest at Win a Resort (http://winaresort.com) It really will change your life.
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