U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Director Richard King talks to student team members about the end of assembly in the solar village.

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.

Since the first trucks rolled onto the National Mall’s West Potomac Park late last night, the site of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 has become alive with activity. Surrounded by trucks and cranes, decathletes in full construction safety gear have wasted no time beginning assembly of their houses.

“The student teams are really pumped up. I’ve never seen teams so excited,” said Richard King, Solar Decathlon director.

Last week’s torrential rains made accessing the site difficult for many of the big rigs carrying houses. But the site is now drying out, and managing the flow of vehicles has become much easier.

But for three teams, the challenge to deliver their houses is not over yet.

Team Florida (The University of South Florida, Florida State University, the University of Central Florida, and the University of Florida) experienced delays with its FleX House being held up at the North Carolina border.

As of early afternoon, Florida International University still waited for the truck that carried its foundation footings (the first step in its construction process) to arrive, which held up several of the team’s other trucks.

Team Massachusetts (Massachusetts College of Art and Design and the University of Massachusetts at Lowell) has been the hardest hit. Having experienced delays of its trucks along the road, this is the only team not yet onsite.

Florida International University team members relax in the shade while waiting for their foundation footings to arrive. (Credit: Carol Anna/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon)

Tom Meyers, Solar Decathlon building official, shared good news at the daily team meeting: Seven teams have passed their foundation inspections—with Purdue University being the first.

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 story, we spoke with Michelle Marcovits of Florida International University about the team’s design—called the perFORM[D]ance House.

A model of Florida International University's Solar Decathlon entry (Credit: All Commercial Photography/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon)

When settling on a design concept for their Solar Decathlon entry, Florida International University (FIU) students knew they had to come up with something that would effectively function in the tropical, variable climate of Miami. For FIU students, that meant adopting an open pavilion, porch-like design modeled after structures commonly found in Central and South America.

“Producing energy is great, but you need to start with a space that’s designed as sustainably and efficiently as possible,“ says the FIU team project engineer, Michelle Marcovits.

Over the course of the next few months, the students will build the solar-powered house that they will showcase on the National Mall as part of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011. Their design, called the perFORM[D]ance House, encourages customization and adaptability depending on the needs of its inhabitants.  

A signature feature of the design is the adjustable panels along the perimeter of the house. On sunny days, the panels can be lifted to act as a canopy, shading the interior and outside bamboo deck.  During inclement weather, the panels act as shutters, closing tightly around the house to add an extra layer of stability.

“A big concern for us is being able to withstand hurricanes—the shutter system is an integral part of the design,” explains Michelle.

The Florida International University team (Courtesy of the FIU team)

The walls of the house that face south are super-insulated to keep the interior cool and comfortable during high-temperature days. The remaining exterior walls are composed of floor-to-ceiling glass windows that let in the natural light from the sun. The majority of the house’s electricity will be generated with a rooftop array of solar panels. Added elements such as ENERGY STAR appliances and LED lighting round out the highly efficient home.

FIU’s journey to Washington, D.C., will not be without its challenges. In addition to the construction process, the home must be transported by truck 1,056 miles from Miami to the National Mall. Still, Michelle says the experience so far has been rewarding.  

“Everything we’re learning along the way has been valuable. I love the opportunity to see what we can all do,” she says.

Erin Pierce is a communication specialist for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.