![]() These houses are now spread throughout the world with many of them used for public tours. Since the beginning of the competition in 2002, 130 houses have competed in the United States alone. The competition provided real-world, hands-on experience to teach collegiate students the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) concepts they need in order to build future environmentally sound houses. The competition produced some very stunning, creative and sustainable home designs while helping build a world-class workforce to address one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century-reducing harmful carbon pollution. Their Empowerhouse was 13th in 2012 and they finished 4th in 2014 with their Ecohabit house. The Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ won the 2015 contest with its SU+RE HOUSE as in, SUstainable + REsilient. For energy consumption, the house must use 175 kWh of energy or less over the competition. The teams must drive an electric vehicle charged, using their house's electrical system several times during the competition with full points awarded for driving 25 miles or more in two hours or less eight times during contest week.įor energy production, the house needs to produce at least as much energy as the house needs, thus achieving a net energy consumption of zero. The house is required to accommodate the pleasures of living, such as sharing meals with friends and family, watching movies in a home theater, checking social media, and taking a warm shower. The teams earn points for operating their refrigerator and freezer within set temperatures, washing and drying laundry within a specified time, running the dishwasher at 120°, and simulating cooking by vaporizing 5 pounds of water within a specified period of time. The house must also be comfortable and maintain a narrow temperature and relative humidity range during specified periods of time with temperatures between 71☏ and 76☏ and the relative humidity less than 60%. The team needs to communicate its message to online audiences through a logical website and effective social media.Īffordability is another important factor with a target construction cost of $250,000 or less. The communications strategy must be inclusive, consistent, and integrated with helpful educational and outreach messages. It must compare with typical systems, showing energy savings over the period of a year. The engineering approach must be effective and practical, making the house energy efficient with good overall system performance. Basically, the house has to be a good value for potential homebuyers. The house has to have interior and exterior market appeal through detailing and outstanding features. The quality of the material, detail and implementation has to be demonstrated and the house has to show a creative approach to residential architecture. The natural and electric lighting should be well-integrated. Architecturally, the house needs to be comfortable for occupants and compatible with the surrounding environment. Let's look at the requirements for each event. It needs to supply energy for cooking, cleaning, entertainment, and commuting, while providing adequate hot water and it needs to produce as much or more energy than it consumes. The house must maintain a comfortable and healthy indoor environment. The winning team is the team that can produce a house that is inexpensive, eye-catching, and easy to live in. For this decathlon, collegiate teams spend two years designing and building energy-efficient houses powered by the sun. The ten solar events are architecture, market appeal, engineering, communications, affordability, comfort, appliances, home life, commuting and energy balance. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. Department of Energy challenges collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. The Solar Decathlon also comprises of ten events where the U.S. Traditionally, the title of the world's greatest athlete was given to the man who wins the Olympic decathlon. The events included the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400-meter dash, 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1,500-meter run. In sports, a decathlon involves ten events. ![]()
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