On April 28, 2011, the launch ceremony for Solar Decathlon China (SD China) was held at Peking University. The event was witnessed by more than 200 participants from China’s National Energy Administration (NEA), the U.S. Department of Energy, prominent domestic and international energy companies, and several Chinese universities. The Solar Decathlon China competition will be hosted by the National Energy Administration and the U.S. Department of Energy, organized by Peking University, and supported by companies including Applied Materials of the U.S.

Launched in the U.S. in 2002, the Solar Decathlon has been held about every two years. In 2013, China will host its inaugural Solar Decathlon competition. The teams will come from international universities, each of which will design and build a house that uses solar energy as the sole energy source for maintaining the operations of daily life. The competition will have ten contests, including energy conservation, architecture, environmental appeal, and energy independence—thus the “Decathlon” name.

During the launch ceremony, Wu Guihui, chief engineer of NEA, recognized the importance of Solar Decathlon and indicated that SD China would demonstrate the importance the Chinese government places on the application of new energy, promotion of low-carbon technologies, China’s responsibilities for carbon emission reduction, and initiatives of green and sustainable development. The competition will also be a good way to introduce advanced new energy technologies, promote commercialization in the field of clean energy, and carry out “green, clean, environmental protection” concepts in each Chinese city.

Zhou Qifeng, the president of Peking University, said: “In recent years, China’s new energy industry has made considerable progress in the field. The government’s strong encouragement and support for environment-friendly solutions have encouraged an increase in academic research and commercial deployment, spurring industry growth for new energy technologies. The Solar Decathlon China program will advance the level of technology development and application.”

During the ceremony, the organizing committee of SD China announced the timetable of the competition, the drafting of sponsorship regulations, and the drafting of hosting city regulations and launched the official website for SD China: http://www.sdchina.org/.

This press release was provided by Solar Decathlon China organizers.

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.

When it comes to picturing a beach house, you typically picture large windows to let in fresh air and sunlight or wide porches to connect the home to the outdoors. What probably doesn’t come to mind is a home primarily made of precast concrete. However, Team New Jersey is doing exactly that—incorporating the age-old technology of concrete into its beach house design. The team hopes to show others how a material often seen as cold or industrial can be used for residential applications.

Jordan Tait (Courtesy of Team New Jersey)

The New Jersey Solar Decathlon team is a collaboration between two universities, Rutgers and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

“Rutgers is taking care of the engineering side of things, and we’re doing architecture. We’re learning together how the whole process pans out,” said NJIT student and Project Architecture Manager Jordan Tait.

New Jersey is the first team in the Solar Decathlon competition to use pre-cast concrete panels as its primary construction material. What is the reason? Jordan explained that several factors make concrete an ideal choice. For one, the panels are super insulated—composed of insulation sandwiched between 3 to 4 inches of poured concrete on either side.

Team New Jersey (Courtesy of Team New Jersey)

Also, the pre-cast concrete contributes to the house’s high thermal mass, which helps to avoid dramatic temperature fluctuations by retaining heat in the winter and keeping the house cool in the summer.

“It’s low-maintenance, sustainable, and green,” said Jordan.

Several other technologies will be incorporated into the design for optimal energy efficiency:

• The roof will take on an inverted hip shape—calibrated for maximum solar and rainwater collection.
• A 38-panel array will provide renewable energy for the house.
• Operable windows will allow for natural ventilation.

This Saturday, the team will have a chance to showcase its design to a wider audience.

“A lot of people think the shape is very dynamic. They’re very interested to see it done and built,”  said Jordan.

At Rutgers Day, an event for prospective students and their families, visitors will see a digital walkthrough of the house and get a chance to see some of the building materials up close.  

Student team members view solar panels (Courtesy of Team New Jersey)

As the competition draws nearer, it’s clear that Jordan and his fellow teammates have gained a lot from the demanding experience.

“There’s a bigger spectrum of things to learn than just the academic scope,” said Jordan.  “By coordinating with contractors, engineers, and consultants, we’re picking up different skill sets. We’re really taking the project far above and beyond the call of duty.”

Visit the Team New Jersey website and Facebook page for more about its journey to the Solar Decathlon competition.

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

Solar Decathlon Europe organizers accept the Sustainable Energy Europe Award for Communicating. (Courtesy of the European Union Sustainable Energy Week)

Solar Decathlon Europe was honored last week by the European Commission with a Sustainable Energy Europe Award in the Communicating category. The annual awards reward best-in-class initiatives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency in the European Union. More than 300 initiatives were considered in this year’s competition.

The Communicating category recognizes projects “that create awareness about … energy challenges, that change perceptions, and that bring about endorsement of energy efficiency and/or renewable energy.”

The jury recognized Solar Decathlon Europe for:

• Providing an excellent learning experience to university students and therefore fostering the research and innovation skills of European youth
• Showing the potential of collaboration between the public sphere and the business world — especially in the task of designing  and building sustainable homes with cutting-edge technologies
• Creating a public space in which more than 200,000 people could witness sustainable energy “in action.”“Solar Decathlon Europe not only helps raise awareness among professionals, but it also shows that it is technically and financially possible to achieve the goal of constructing buildings with near zero energy expenditure, as stated by the European Directive 2020,” said Javier Serra, director of Solar Decathlon Europe. “It has also shown a very strong initiative to present to the public the possibilities of increasing the energy efficiency of houses, and thereby save on the energy bill, through the use of new technologies and renewable energy.”

Solar Decathlon Europe is organized by the Secretary of State for Housing and Urban Development at the Spanish Ministry of Public Works with the collaboration of Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and the support of the U.S. Department of Energy.

For more information, see the Solar Decathlon Europe website.

Amy Vaughn is the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Web coordinator.

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.

Located in Vermont’s Champlain Valley, with the Green Mountains to the east of campus and the Adirondacks to the west, Middlebury College seems like a naturally suited location for a Solar Decathlon team. For decades, the school has made sustainability a priority, and it launched the first environmental studies major in the nation in 1965. Since then, new buildings built on campus have incorporated energy-saving features and used sustainable and recycled materials. Middlebury’s Franklin Environmental Center received a LEED Platinum award for its environmental design, and the school has committed to become carbon-neutral by 2016. The campus also houses a new biomass plant, which boasts a gasification system that converts regionally grown wood chips into gas, which it then burns to provide steam for heating, cooling, hot water, and cooking throughout the campus.

With all this focus on sustainability, it should come as no surprise that, two years ago, Architectural Studies major Addison Godine and three other students created a proposal for the Solar Decathlon competition. Since then, the team has worked long hours together and grown to a group of more than 75 students from across 18 majors.

The Middlebury team at its recent "wall-raising" event. (Courtesy of the Middlebury Solar Decathlon team)

We spoke with Addison, the team’s student project lead, and Melissa Segil, the team manager and an International Politics and Economics double major to find out more about the team and its design.

The house, which the team named Self-Reliance after the essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson, was inspired by the design of a traditional New England farmhouse. The team is using only natural building materials, including sustainably harvested wood from local forests, recycled insulation, and natural finishes and paints. The house also uses high-performance, triple glazed windows with insulated frames that will maximize the amount of natural light allowed in.

The goal of the Middlebury team has been to produce an affordable house that is both functional and comfortable for a family of four. Although the house is smaller than the average American home, the team has maximized its square footage by creating two distinct zones that separate the “public” area from the “private.” The public space contains a greenhouse and a kitchen and dining area for food preparation for the family and its guests.  Two bedrooms are located in the more private side of the house. The house has an “as-built” budget of less than $250,000—an impressive feat.

A model of Self-Reliance (Courtesy of the Middlebury Solar Decathlon team)

Addison says the best part of the Solar Decathlon experience so far has been the ability to work with a group of students in the college atmosphere that are “dedicated to a project because they believe in it, not because they have to participate for a class.”

Melissa says she has really enjoyed the outreach that the project involves.

“It’s been awesome to be able to share the process with the community,” she says. “We’ve held open houses and symposiums, and it’s been really fun to be able to tell other people about the project and hear from excited parents, grandparents, and others in the Middlebury community.”

Both Addison and Melissa say the team has run across a few challenges, including the fact that the small liberal arts college is one of few in the competition without a professional architecture program. But the team has persevered. They’ve powered through a major design change and seen cycles of students come and go. (Many Middlebury students study abroad during their undergraduate years.)

Aside from the challenges, Melissa is happy to report that the team recently began construction on the house over the school’s spring break. “We’re really having a blast now that construction has started,” she says.

After the conclusion of the competition, the Middlebury team plans to bring the house back from Washington, D.C., to the Middlebury campus. Melissa says the house will become a residence for students and simultaneously serve as an environmental outreach center that will host events to promote sustainability.

To learn more about Self-Reliance and the Middlebury College team, visit its website, where you can read its blog or see videos that the team has made.

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

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.

The Ohio State University team is getting ramped up for its second run at the Solar Decathlon this fall. After placing 10th in the 2009 competition, the team is looking to bring a bigger, tougher, and more efficient house to this year’s event.

The Ohio State University team meets in preparation for Solar Decathlon 2011. (Courtesy of The Ohio State University team)

Mark Walter, associate professor of mechanical engineering, provided an insider’s perspective.

“Our goals are not too different [compared to 2009],” said Walter, who is also a faculty advisor to the team. “With the additional experience, we’re looking to reach out to the community and really bringing the best possible product to the Mall.”

In addition, Walter said the team is looking to solve sustainable design problems with its original house through better efficiency, tighter construction, and smarter engineering.

The enCORE house is based on a concept that promotes putting all the mechanical systems in the center of the house and using exterior components such as walls, shades, windows, and the roof to help control the temperature and produce energy—all while leaving ample living space for residents. The house has two bedrooms, one bath, a den, a living room, and kitchen space as well as a patio and gardening area.

“We really see this as a fully functional home for a family of three. If you think about a New York City apartment having 800 square feet, there’s really no reason this can’t have the same feel,” said Walter. “With added space, we can do a lot more. Last year, we had a lot of reconfigured space with smaller rooms. This time we have separate spaces and more room.”

enCORE is also unique in that it will likely be the first house in the history of the Solar Decathlon to have a roof covered entirely in thin film solar cells. Walter explained that because the competition’s limits on roof size were increased, the same efficiency can be achieved using thin film solar technology, cutting costs tremendously.

An enCORE design model (Credit: All Commercial Photography/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon)

 This second house from The Ohio State University also incorporates passive design strategies with super-insulated walls, roofs, and windows. The team also has more students on construction and engineering this year, many of which have learned from their previous experience in Solar Decathlon 2009. Sixty-five students are currently on the roster, with 15 core students on the team—three more than during the last competition.

The Ohio State University team is looking to improve in all categories this year. Walter said that, after the competition, the team is looking to exhibit enCORE for a year on campus or use it as a residence for visiting scholars. 

For more information about The Ohio State University team and enCORE, visit its website or official Facebook page.

Erik Hyrkas is a correspondence writer for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.