WASHINGTON, DC – The University of Maryland today took first place in the lighting contest at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon, taking the most points in the daily contest for the second day in a row.  Today’s contest is the third of ten contests that make up the international competition taking place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.  The contest jurors were impressed with the aesthetic quality of the team’s lighting and with objective measurements of lighting intensity.

“Today’s contest highlights not only the benefits of solar power but efficient technologies,” Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Alexander Karsner said. “Lighting the homes on the National Mall with solar energy proves that Americans can maintain the highest quality in their homes while being energy efficient.”

The University of Maryland finished with 72.75 points, followed by the German Technische Universität Darmstadt  (70.50 points) and Team Montréal (École de Technologie Supérieure, Université de Montréal, McGill University) (69.25 points).  At the end of the day Tuesday, the University of Maryland held the top spot in the overall standings with 420.65 points followed by Georgia Tech University (401.20 points) and Pennsylvania State University (397.44 points).

For the lighting contest, teams earned points based on meeting specific lighting requirements in each room of their solar-powered home.  Contest officials measured lighting levels both day and night; lighting design experts toured each house to evaluate the aesthetics, innovation and performance of the teams’ lighting designs.  Teams had the potential to earn up to 100 points for this contest.

The ten contests that make up the Solar Decathlon measure many aspects of a home’s performance and appearance.  A perfect total score for all ten contests in the Solar Decathlon is 1,200 points.  Of the ten contests, Communications, as well as Lighting, Comfort Zone, Appliances, Hot Water, Energy Balance, and Getting Around are each worth up to 100 points.  The Architecture contest is worth up to 200 points, followed by Engineering and Market Viability, which are each worth up to 150 points and are scored subjectively.  Performance is measured and points are awarded daily through the competition and the standings are updated on the Solar Decathlon website.

Results from the next of the ten contests, Market Viability, will be announced tomorrow, Thursday, October 18 at 10:00AM on the National Mall in the solar village.

The Solar Decathlon’s homes are zero-energy, yield zero carbon, and 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 vehicle.  Many of the solar power and building technologies showcased on the National Mall are currently available for purchase and use.  Teams have worked for more than two years designing, building and testing their homes – the Solar Decathlon is the culmination of that work. 

The Solar Decathlon complements President Bush’s Solar America Initiative, which seeks to make solar energy cost-competitive with conventional forms of electricity by 2015.  The U.S. Department of Energy is sponsoring this year’s Solar Decathlon, along with its National Renewable Energy Laboratory; the American Institute of Architects; the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers; the National Association of Homebuilders; the U.S. Green Building Council; and private-sector sponsors BP and Sprint.   This year, more than 100,000 people are expected to tour the solar village.

Held on the National Mall in Washington, DC, DOE’s Solar Decathlon is open to the public through Saturday, October 20, 2007.  The houses are open for tours each day from 11:00AM to 3:00PM, except today, Wednesday, October 17, 2007, when they are closed for competition purposes.  For full event information, current standings, and high-resolution photos, visit: http://www.solardecathlon.org/.

Media contact(s):
Kevin Brosnahan, 202/586-4940