On the National Mall in Washington, D.C., 18 college and university teams from 13 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Spain built individual houses that create a “solar village” highlighting various sustainable design techniques and tools promoting energy efficiency, plus renewable energy exhibits. The village will be open to the public till October 16.

The contest, made especially timely by current fuel price jumps, has students competing to “design, build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar powered house.”

Like its ancient Greek namesake, this decathlon sponsors competition in 10 parts:

Architecture requires the teams to build houses that perform well technically and are attractive and well-integrated in solar and energy-efficient technologies.

Dwelling judges whether the houses are designed well for everyday living, simple to maintain, and attractive to potential home buyers. They also evaluate flexibility of design and construction, the construction methods used, and marketability of the houses.

Documentation awards points based on how well teams analyze their designs for energy performance and how thoroughly they document the design process. Engineers evaluate the building energy analyses, and a panel of architects specializing in project management and documentation evaluates the teams’ final “as-built” drawings.

Communications challenges teams to communicate their experiences to a wide audience through Web sites and public tours.

Comfort Zone judges whether the houses maintain a steady, uniform, comfortable temperature and humidity throughout. Full points for this contest are awarded for maintaining narrow temperature (72–76°F) and relative humidity (40–55%) ranges inside the houses.

Appliances requires that students maintain certain temperature ranges in their refrigerators (34–40°F) and freezers (-20–5°F). During the competition. They must wash and dry 12 towels for two days, cook and serve meals to contest officials for four days, clean dishes using a dishwasher for four days, and operate a TV/video player for up to six hours and a computer for up to eight hours for five days. Points are awarded for this contest through measurements and task completion.

Hot Water encompasses the “shower tests.” They aim to deliver 15 gallons of hot water (110°F) in 10 minutes or less. A panel of engineering judges also tours each home to make a comprehensive assessment of the hot water systems and awards points based on those assessments.

Lighting measures whether the houses meet lighting-level requirements in each room.

Energy Balance requires teams to use only the energy generated by their PV systems to provide all of the electricity for the contests. Teams earn full points if the energy supplied to the batteries is at least as much as the energy removed from the batteries.

Getting Around has student teams using electricity generated by their solar electric systems on their houses to charge their street-legal, commercially available electric vehicles. Points are awarded based on how many miles each team completes.

The overall winner will be announced October 14.

A priority for DOE and AIA
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman opened the competition with a message of inspiration. Referring to President Bush’s remarks September 26 that all heads of federal agencies should concentrate on conservation of energy, Bodman praised the Solar Decathlon goal to design, build, and operate energy-efficient and livable homes complete with all modern conveniences and measured in everyday living conditions. “These are marvels of creativity and design and models of efficiency,” he said of the homes newly opened on the Mall.

Bodman also emphasized the expanded vision for the houses the students devise. The University of Maryland will donate its home to a community providing jobs to adults with developmental disabilities. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth will give its house to Habitat for Humanity in Louisiana. And the University of Colorado plans to donate its house to a community in Longmont, Colo.

The purpose of the competition, developed by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, is to encourage careers in science, including architecture and engineering, and improving the ways of using solar technology, Bodman said. The competition, which began in 2002 and was to be held every three years, will henceforth be a biennial event, with federal financial support for participating teams raised from $5,000 per team to $100,000 per team, Bodman announced. Teams also raise funds from Solar Decathlon sponsors and other private sources to design, publicize, build, and compete. Rules dictate that houses be single-story, with optional lofts, and of about 800 square feet.

AIA Executive Vice President/CEO Norman L. Koonce, FAIA, led off the event-sponsors’ remarks by reminding attendees that the event’s venue, situated on “America’s Main Street,” the National Mall, between the institutions of science and the arts—the Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Art—is a fitting place for an event that showcases energy-efficient and livable homes powered by the sun. It is ironic, he said, that the same source of energy that powers these homes is the source of energy that took so much in the hurricanes that devastated the Gulf region.

“The interdisciplinary teamwork that has created these houses—architecture, engineering, business, and communication students guided by their advisors—offers hope,” Koonce said. “The Solar Decathlon opens our imaginations to a wide range of ideas that are inspirational, creative, practical, and capable—as we can see—of producing great beauty. These projects are illuminated by ideas that speak as much to protecting our environment as they do to national security and our economy.”

Ongoing effort: Investment in the future
This year’s Solar Decathlon is the second competition; the inaugural event was held in 2002. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, serves as the sponsor and event organizer. Joining the AIA as sponsors are the National Association of Homebuilders, BP, the DIY Network, and Sprint.

Copyright 2005 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved. Home Page