Home : Blogs : QuiQue Lopez HomePartners Marketing : Home Partners in Atlanta Blog- QuiQue lopez

Student Teams Prepare for This Fall’s Solar Decathlon

NAHB is again sponsoring the international Solar Decathlon this fall.
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2009 challenges 20 university teams from the United States, Canada, Germany and Spain to design and exhibit solar-powered, energy-efficient homes.
Student teams design, build, test and then ship the homes to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The teams take a week to rebuild their houses as a solar village and open their homes to the visiting public Oct. 9-18.
The Solar Decathlon attracts thousands of people who come to see the latest creations from some of the world’s most elite universities. The competition demonstrates innovative clean-energy technology, shows consumers the potential of solar-powered living and develops a well-trained workforce of engineers, architects and entrepreneurs uniquely prepared for green jobs.
Teams compete against one another in 10 contests, which test the homes’ energy efficiency and ability to produce electricity and hot water from solar panels to perform all the functions of home — from turning on the lights to cooking, washing clothes and dishes, powering home electronics and maintaining a comfortable temperature.
Each team’s home will also be judged on its architecture, livability and marketability. The teams must provide documentation about their home's design and communicate information on their home to the public.
Judging criteria include:
Architecture — 100 points
Market Viability — 100 points
Engineering — 100 points
Lighting Design — 75 points
Communications — 75 points
Comfort Zone — 100 points
Hot Water — 100 points
Appliances — 100 points
Home Entertainment — 100 points
Net Metering — 150 points
Net Metering has been added to this year’s contest to determine how close the competition entries come to qualifying as a zero- or net-zero energy house.
Out of 1,000 possible points, the team with the most combined points at the end of the competition wins.
NAHB will provide educational sessions on the use of the National Green Building Standard and also sponsor a lunch for the student participants.
For additional information and a complete list of sponsors, visit www.solardecathlon.org.