Here Comes The Sun | 2015 Solar Decathlon

Congratulations to the winners of the U.S. Department of Energy 2015 Solar Decathlon held at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California.

The Solar Decathlon exhibition was opened to the public and comprised of 10 (juried or measured) contests for Architecture, Market Appeal, Engineering, Communication, Affordability, Comfort Zone, Appliances, Home Life, Commuting and Energy Balance. The participating teams from the US, Central America and Italy were challenged to show their ingenuity and resourcefulness during the competition.  They were monitored on their performance and evaluated by jury on specific projects such as cooking, washing dishes, and doing laundry.  For additional information, visit the U.S. Department of Energy – http://www.solardecathlon.gov

Stevens Institute of Technology – SURE HOUSE won first place in Market Appeal, Architecture and Communications.  They also achieved high honors for overall design and building and operating the most cost-efficient solar powered house.  Their inspiration…hurricane Sandy and a desire to create a sustainable house vulnerable to extreme coastal weather conditions.

University at Buffalo, The State University of New York – GroWlarium won second place for their 1-bedroom, 1-bath living space and indoor greenhouse that supports vegetation year-round.  The house was designed for comfort and efficiency during Buffalo’s severe winters and opened to enjoy indoor-outdoor living during warm spring and summer days.

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo – INhouse took third place for their net-zero structure.  Built for coastal California living, the deck’s array of bifacial panels serves as shade while collecting solar energy from light reflected off the deck surface.  These panels can be folded down and locked into a solid wall position for protection from severe weather.  The next possible move for INhouse is returning the structure to the Cal Poly campus to be used for student education and student housing and to encourage residents to continue net-zero living.

Team Orange County:  University of California, Irvine; Chapman University; Irvine Valley College; and Saddleback College – Casa del Sol was another net-zero, drought-resistant structure designed for Southern California living.  The architecture’s open design incorporates a flexible floor plan and separate studio for multigenerational living or rental, retractable tensile structure over the veranda, radiant heating/cooling system and rooftop solar thermal.

My hat’s off to all the teams that participated in the 2015 Solar Decathlon.  You are all winners!