Construction of the solar village on the National Mall’s West Potomac Park continued today, as student teams worked throughout the day and night to assemble their competition houses for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011.

While always a top priority at the Solar Decathlon, safety is particularly important during this seven-day construction phase. At today’s daily team meeting, Lee Ann Underwood, Solar Decathlon safety officer, praised the following teams for their excellent safety practices:

• New Zealand (Victoria University of Wellington)
• Tidewater Virginia (Old Dominion University and Hampton University)
• Canada (University of Calgary)
• Parsons NS Stevens (Parsons The New School for Design and Stevens Institute of Technology)
• The University of Tennessee.

As of this meeting, 12 of the 19 team houses had passed their foundation inspections, with the University of Tennessee and Team China (Tongji University) leading in the number of building inspections passed.

Unfortunately, only part of Team Massachusetts’ house has arrived. The team members expect the rest of the house to arrive tomorrow.

A member of Team Massachusetts demonstrates good humor while standing in the empty lot where her team house will be assembled. (Credit: Carol Anna/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon)

The truck carrying the foundation footings for Florida International University finally arrived, and the team was busy today setting the foundations.

Michele Markovits, project engineer for Florida International, couldn’t say enough good things about neighboring teams, whose generosity included Parsons NS Stevens, who helped by buying gas for their generator; Tennessee, who helped charge a battery and accepted safety glasses in return; and Appalachian State, whose loan of surveying equipment helped the team set its foundation footings.

Michele Markovits, project engineer for Florida International University, and other team members work on the foundation footings for their house. (Credit: Carol Anna/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon)

“Our fellow teams have been so generous, They’ve shown truly great sportsmanship,” Michelle said. “It’s important to all of us that we make it to the finish line.”

Carol Anna is the communications manager of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

Samuel Mikhail, team leader of Team New York (City College of New York), celebrates the diversity of his team during the All-Team Meeting. (Credit: Carol Anna/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon)

Filled with energy and excitement, the student teams gathered the All-Team Meeting tonight to kick off the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011. The teams—representing 13 U.S. states, five countries, and four continents—received an enthusiastic send-off from Solar Decathlon organizers and sponsors in preparation for the assembly phase of the competition, which begins later tonight.

Over a buffet dinner, Melissa Segil of Middlebury College explained how the Solar Decathlon has had a powerful impact on her education.

“I’ve learned more on this one project than I have in four years of college,” Melissa said. “Each of our team members worked to construct our house. The Solar Decathlon is an amazing hands-on educational experience.”

Members of Team China (Tongji University) greet decathletes from other Solar Decathlon teams at the All-Team Meeting. (Credit: Carol Anna/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon)

Over the next seven days, the teams will work around the clock to build their highly energy-efficient, solar-powered houses at the National Mall’s West Potomac Park. The Solar Decathlon opens to the public on Friday, Sept. 23, at 10 a.m.

Carol Anna is the communications manager of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

Editor’s Note: This entry has been cross-posted from DOE’s Energy Blog.

In honor of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon—which challenges 20 collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive—we are profiling each of the 20 teams participating in the competition.

Design aesthetics, engineering, market appeal—these are just a few of the elements Solar Decathlon houses will be evaluated and scored on. But new this year to the competition is the Affordability Contest. Teams are encouraged to think creatively and strategically not only about the overall structure and functioning of their houses but also on how accessible they can make their designs to everyone. 

Team China's Y Container design model

Team China, which is composed of students and faculty from Tongji University, has risen to the affordability challenge with an innovative strategy: take discarded shipping containers from the docks and refurbish them as the primary structure of a home.

“We transformed standard shipping containers in order to compensate for the cost of photovoltaic technology,” explained Hua Guodong, primary student architect. This allows the team to incorporate clean energy technologies, such as solar panels, into its design while keeping construction costs low.

Dubbed the Y Container in reference to its Y shape, the house is a combination of six recycled shipping containers that sit atop an expansive deck. In addition to providing space for outdoor seating, the multi-functional deck collects and filters rainwater for domestic needs. Energy-efficient features such as super-insulating materials and a natural ventilation tunnel contribute to the sustainable design.

Ease of transportation will play a critical role as the competition nears. After construction is complete, the students must deconstruct their house, ship it to Washington, D.C., and reconstruct it again at the start of the competition. Because of the use of standard shipping containers, the Y Container will be easy to transport, assemble, and expand—giving residents the freedom to build anywhere and in any configuration. (The Y shape is just a start.)

Students from Tongji University work on their Solar Decathlon project. (Courtesy of Team China)

For Team China, the Solar Decathlon has been a demanding and challenging project but not one without its rewards. Said Hua Guodong, “I have to say, although the work is hard, it’s still a very exciting and valuable experience for me and the entire team. Nothing can compare with this experience.”

Erin Pierce is an energy technology program specialist for the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.