How The Solar Decathlon Was Won

James Montgomery, Associate Editor, RenewableEnergyWorld.com

New Hampshire, USA -- The Solar Decathlon's mission, at its core, is to showcase one simple fact: that homes can be built today that are innovatively efficient from energy to water usage, in a variety of appealing and generally affordable designs. Judging by our own eyes, and the eyes of this year's judges and thousands of visitors over two weeks in CA, Irvine, this year's Solar Decathlon again accomplished its mission.

Jim is Associate Editor for RenewableEnergyWorld.com, covering the solar and wind beats. He previously was news editor for Solid State Technology and Photovoltaics World, and has covered semiconductor manufacturing and related industries,...

View the original article here

Solar Decathlon starts despite US Government shutdown

When disappointed some local may be the Solar Decathlon fans it is out that should have been a good year for the event in Washington, D.C.

During budget dispute clouds over the Federal Government and the Capitol loom, throws the bi-annual Department of energy event an own sunshine in Irvine, California.

Decathlon, started in 2002 by Dr. Richard King of the U.S. solar program has University of team designs for solar-powered houses, so spotlight on America's best and brightest minds millions of visitors from around the globe in the last 11 years taken. Competition, DOE site according to should first "Students and the public that money saving opportunities and benefits for the environment through clean energy presents educate about products and design solutions." On the other hand, tries the event, "showing the convenience and affordability of houses, which combine energy-efficient construction and appliances with renewable energy systems now available the public."

Competition. Innovation. Affordability. Our students show us the spirit of team work can do, how we're fighting here in Washington. In this case, the students are better teaching the lesson.

The Solar Decathlon slogan this year - a path to a better future - pointing a much better prospects. In the solar industry, we find that Americans are finding that solar actually is the bright way.

Residential energy costs are an everyday concern. In the United States 115 million homes consume the energy value $266 billion annually. In its new report on solar heating and cool was the solar energy industries Association, that 72 percent of home energy use related room with hot water, space heating and cooling.

The technologies on display in Irvine for the next couple of weeks face front on this issue. Despite the Government shutdown is the Decathlon happy as planned with the opening of the kickoff Thursday events continue. Visitors of the event can students designed and built by features such as an outer walkway shaded by solar cells, solar chimney with a retractable skylight for natural ventilation and light and houses with enough energy left to your car fuel tour.

Houses of the future? How about houses of today. Already solar provides that concrete income investment for homeowners and businesses alike, while educational programs such as the Solar Decathlon treat visitors the world drawing boards today real options and honor of some of the world's best innovators.

Students urged for their best through a global public competition to sunny skies for us all to create: that is a forecast which could win even some cross-party support.

View the original article here

Solar Decathlon: Spotlighting American innovation

If the US Department of energy its first Solar Decathlon on the National Mall in 2002 instead of American energy issues grew nervous for the first time in decades. Natural gas prices had skyrocketed, California had recovered just from rolling blackouts and the events of 9/11 and our continued dependence on foreign sources of energy were foremost in our minds.

In the meantime as America his drop in rankings in mathematics and the sciences, request for stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skilled workers increased to the point that the STALK grew three times faster than other positions jobs. While we lag behind many Asian and European countries stem areas, there were advance studies in the fields of STEM a growing movement in education policy and curriculum elementary school and college-level, to improve the competitiveness of the United States in these areas intended.

Energy and education met in this timed Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C., culminating in more than a dozen solar 2002 apartments temporarily erected in front of the Capitol and toured driven by thousands of visitors from all over the world. Office of energy efficiency and renewable energy solar technology program made possible, reinforced this new, experimental program outside the traditional work of the DOE through the initiative of Dr. Richard King, and together moved to college students from different academic fields of architecture, engineering, natural sciences, communications, interior design and others - the most cost effective, attractive, and energy efficient solar-powered home.

Decathlon used a "If you build it, they will come" - bring strategy, the solar energy as a viable solution for our energy and education challenges in the foreground: when you train and encourage innovative thinkers to the students, the students will turn in educating the public about affordable renewable energy systems available today. The program encourages innovation while driving product awareness, promotes growth in new markets; In the meantime require promoting STEM skills in our students, the creative integration with other areas. The most important physics had to work hand in hand to make the landscape gardener, the home function as a system.

The prosperity and the Solar Decathlon to reach over the past decade (there are programs in China and Europe the Solar Decathlon now), as well as larger programs such as the SunShot initiative that 2011 has funded since the beginning, more than 150 solar technology work to leverage private dollars and innovations. Leaving alive their birthplace of Washington, for the first time, biennial Solar Decathlon will start in California this year with a bevy of collegiate teams from around the nation - and worldwide - presented like solar's role in the diversification of the energy mix of the country and growing.

With 120,000 Americans at more than 5,600 enterprises builds the U.S. solar industry helps our houses and shops makes; and presented by the new technologies and designs on the Solar Decathlon, it is clear that the United States is a global competitors - both in education and solar deployment.

Ask the way, as she and her team their solar house for this competition planned every hard-working students at the Solar Decathlon in Orange County, and between the talk of blinds you hear a themed panels, LEDs, light, and water treatment,: it is built to win. And this is good news for all of us.

The information and opinions in this blog are solely those of the author and not necessarily the RenewableEnergyWorld.com and company, the advertising on this Web site and other publications. This blog has been posted directly by the author and has not been reviewed for accuracy, spelling or grammar.

View the original article here

Solar Decathlon Europe 2012 is on the way

The Solar Decathlon Europe 2012, an additional competition to the US Department of energy Solar Decathlon, the collegiate teams: to design, build and Operatre solar-powered houses, which are low-cost, energy-efficient and attractive challenges, Spain began on 14 September in Madrid. Teams from 14 countries participate in this year's competition, from Brazil, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Spain and the United Kingdom. In 2007 the Spanish Ministry of housing was an agreement to organize the event, and the first European meeting in Madrid in 2010.

A combination of task performance, measurement and reached jury determined Solar Decathlon Europe first champion, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The event ends on September 30. The solar to see Decathlon Europe Web site.

View the original article here

Shedding Light on the Solar Decathlon 2013 Teams

While many students are getting ready for school, teams of university and college students around the globe have been hard at work this summer creating solar-powered houses as part of the Energy Department’s 6th biennial Solar Decathlon.

In January, we announced the 20 teams for the 2013 competition. More than six months later, the teams are in full swing designing and building energy-efficient solar houses that will compete in 10 contests to gauge their energy consumption, affordability, and ease of living. For most contests, we will have to wait for the judging in October 2013 to learn how teams are doing. But the Communications Contest provides an inside look at how teams are progressing. For the complete story, see the Energy Blog.

View the original article here

DOE Solar Decathlon 2013 moves to California

This is an excerpt from EERE network news, a weekly electronic newsletter.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced on 26 January that the US Department of energy Solar Decathlon 2013 will take place at a new location in Orange County great Park in Irvine, California. For the first time since the beginning of the competition in 2002 the event is from the National Mall Washington, D.C. Chu also called the 20 teams from colleges and universities in the United States and to the world, the every two years at compete will be.

Now, the participants begin a two-year process, solar powered, to build high-quality energy-efficient houses that combine affordability, appeal, and design excellence. During the whole process two years are the teams design, build and test their homes before it at the site of competition Solar Decathlon 2013 put together. Teams in ten categories range from the best architecture and engineering at producing electricity for heating and cooling. Students gain real world experience a growing global industry.

Selected teams of Arizona State University and the University of New Mexico; Czech Technical University (Czech Republic); Hampton University and Old Dominion University; Middlebury College; Missouri University of science and technology; Norwich University; Queens University, Carleton University and Algonquin College, (Canada); Santa Clara University; Southern California Institute of architecture and California Institute of technology; • Stevens Institute of technology, Stanford University; The Catholic University of America, George Washington University and American University; The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The University of Texas at El Paso and El Paso Community College; University of Calgary, Canada; University of Louisville, Ball State University and University of Kentucky; University of Nevada, Las Vegas; University of Southern California; University of Vienna (Vienna, Austria); and the West Virginia University. See the DOE press release (copyright) and the Solar Decathlon website.

View the original article here