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.

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.

For our latest profile, we took a look at Team Canada’s design from the University of Calgary, which is making its second go at the competition after placing an impressive sixth out of 20 in Solar Decathlon 2009.

Members of Team Canada display a model of TRTL at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Florida. (Courtesy of Team Canada)

The team—which is made up of participants from the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental Design, the Schulich School of Engineering, and the Haskayne School of Business—says its competitive edge emerges from an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to design.

Team Canada’s house—which is known as TRTL (a Technological Residence that respects Traditional Living)—addresses critical issues in Aboriginal communities in Alberta, Canada. The TRTL design includes specific consideration for the context of Alberta’s First Nations communities. The 1000-ft² house is intended for a young family, with two bedrooms and a large social space for cooking and eating. The house’s solar PV panels will produce as much energy as the house consumes over a year to ease rising energy costs in remote communities. The team used building materials that are extremely durable and highly resistant to mold and fire. In addition to these efficiency considerations, the house’s exterior and interior are references to the traditions and values of Treaty 7 Nations throughout Alberta.

A model of Team Canada's TRTL (Courtesy of Riley Brandt)

The methods and technologies the team has used to design its house are meant to improve health, safety, and durability and offer numerous economic benefits. The team also says that the house’s form and function are driven by cultural norms and aesthetic preferences.

In December, TRTL was blessed by the former Chief of the Piikani Nation, Reggie Crowshoe, at a traditional ceremony, resulting in the project’s Blackfoot name: Spo’pi, which means turtle and translates directly to “lives on stilts” (a very fitting name given the team’s design strategy).

The team says that by “integrating the cutting-edge in green building and efficiency technologies within a framework of improved housing for First Nations, the TRTL concept provides a unique and compelling look into the future of sustainable design while celebrating the diverse foundations of Canadian history and culture.” The house is a response to cultural values and traditions and was designed and built in collaboration with Aboriginal individuals and organizations.

Visit Team Canada’s website for more information about the TRTL house.

April Saylor is an online content producer and contractor to the Department of Energy Office of Public Affairs.