Summary: The U.S. Department of Energy will host the fourth Solar Decathlon October 8–18 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Twenty teams of university students from around the world compete to design, construct, and monitor energy-efficient solar powered homes, and the general public is invited to tour cutting edge green residential design; more than 100,000 have visited each of the preceding three events. The AIA has been proud to be a supporting sponsor of the Solar Decathlon from the very first one in 2002. On October 9, 15, and 16 respectively, the Institute will hold panels in association with the event on Green Jobs, the COTE Top 10, and Net-Zero Energy Buildings.

The “Made in Germany” house from the Technische Universität Darmstadt took first place in the 2007 Solar Decathlon. Photo courtesy of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

In support of the Solar Decathlon event directly, the AIA will host a dinner for the Architecture, Communications, and Market Viability juries, which are 3 of the 10 competitions the student teams will face. The students get a bit of relaxation from their intense work schedule on October 10 as the AIA; American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Airconditioning Engineers; U.S. Green Building Council; and American Institute of Architecture Students cosponsor an evening reception. And, on October 12, AIA President-elect George Miller, FAIA, is scheduled to announce the much anticipated Architecture Contest results. (That segment carries 10 percent of the total possible points for the competition.)

AIA panels in conjunction with the Solar Decathlon

Green Jobs Workshop: A Conversation on the Economy and Energy Policy in the 21st Century, Friday, October 9 at 1 p.m.
Green jobs have been at the forefront of policy conversations on potential ways to restart the economy and move energy policy into the 21st century. This workshop seeks to introduce the audience to those members of the workforce currently employed in green jobs as well as an individual working on the public policy related issues of green collar employment.

Synergy at Dockside Green, by Busby Perkins & Will, Vancouver, B.C., is one of the 10 AIA COTE Top 10 projects for 2009. Photo by Enrico Dagostini.

The panelists will describe the personal stories that led them to focus on the burgeoning sustainability industry, the future of the green-collar workforce, and the transformative potential of green collar jobs. This workshop will be moderated by a member AIA National Board and Committee on the Environment Co-chair Dennis Andrejko, FAIA.

Panelists: Prescott Gaylord (Baltimore Green Construction)
Bracken Hendricks (Center for American Progress)
John Mello (B’more Green)

Architecture of Sustainability: AIA/COTE Top 10 Green Project Awards, Thursday, October 15 at 9 a.m.
The AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top Ten Green Projects is the profession's best known recognition program for sustainable design excellence. The program celebrates projects that are the result of a thoroughly integrated approach to architecture, natural systems, and technology.

These projects make a positive contribution to their communities, improve comfort for building occupants, and reduce environmental impacts through strategies such as reuse of existing structures, connection to transit systems, low-impact and regenerative site development, energy and water conservation, use of sustainable or renewable construction materials, and design that improves indoor air quality.

This presentation will highlight this year's 10 winning projects and summarize proven methods of working to reduce energy use in regional and place-specific ways.

Presenter: Gregory Mella, AIA, LEED-AP (SmithGroup)

Towards a Clean Energy Future: Solutions for Net Zero Energy Buildings, Friday, October 16 at 2:30 p.m.
Climate change is the catalyst for major transitions in energy markets. Today, buildings consume significant amounts of energy and indirectly contribute to climate change. In the effort to reduce buildings’ adverse impact on the climate, the Department of Energy Building Technologies Program strategic goal is to promote the creation of technologies for the design of net zero energy homes and buildings by 2025. The panel includes experts from the built environment and smart electric grid technology to discuss strategies and techniques for achieving net zero energy buildings. Je’Nen Chastain, Assoc. AIA, the 2009–2010 AIAS president, will moderate the panel.

Panelists: Michael Whitcomb, P.E. (Montgomery College)
Greg Mella, AIA, LEED-AP (SmithGroup)
Asa D. Foss (USGBC)