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Solar Decathlon Blog - SCI-Arc/Caltech

Below you will find Solar Decathlon news from the SCI-Arc/Caltech archive, sorted by date.

Über Smart Eco-Inventions Designed by Students

Friday, September 23, 2016

By Alexis Powers

Imagine building a single-family house with only hand-powered tools. Sounds crazy, right? Well, students from Clemson University built not just one such house, but two. They built a local version to stay in South Carolina and a traveling version to demonstrate this concept at the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 competition. Their Sim[PLY] construction method allows an average person to assemble pre-cut, numbered components with just stainless steel zip ties. It’s like a three-dimensional puzzle of a 1,000-square-foot home…that’s also a totally livable home.

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Technology Spotlight: Home Sensors and Automation Systems

Thursday, November 13, 2014

By Irene Ying and Alexis Powers

Saving energy doesn’t require sacrifice. It also doesn’t have to be complicated, thanks to occupancy and vacancy sensors and home automation systems.

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Solar Decathlon 2013: Designing the Houses of Today

Thursday, September 12, 2013

By Rebecca Matulka

Editor’s Note: This entry has been cross-posted from DOE’s Energy Blog.

Designing an energy-efficient, solar-powered house for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon is like solving a riddle that has more than one answer. Instead of just thinking about building materials and cost in the design process, teams have to consider a myriad of factors to create a winning house.

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New Zealand Takes First in Engineering Contest

Thursday, September 29, 2011

By Carol Anna

Wowing jurors with its attention to detail, craftsmanship, and unusual energy visualization system, New Zealand (Victoria University of Wellington) received first place today in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 Engineering Contest for its First Light house.

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Teams Prove Solar Houses Can Be Affordable

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

By Carol Anna

Note: Corrections to the Affordability Contest results were announced Sept. 30, 2011.

Proving that the cost of “going green” is decreasing, two teams tied for first place in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 Affordability Contest. Parsons The New School for Design and Stevens Institute of Technology (which includes Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy at The New School) built Empowerhouse for less than $230,000. Purdue University’s INhome came in at just less than $250,000. These teams earned 100 points for achieving a target construction cost of $250,000 or less, as evaluated by a professional cost estimator.

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Solar Decathlon Teams Continue Fast-Paced Assembly

Saturday, September 17, 2011

By Richard King

Under mostly cloudy skies and occasional light rain, U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon teams continue assembling their houses around the clock to finish the assembly phase of the competition, which for most (and hopefully all) teams will end Tuesday. (more…)

Video Blog: Day One Assembly

Friday, September 16, 2011

U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Director Richard King talks to student team members about their assembly progress. (more…)

CHIP House Takes Design to Different Heights (Literally)

Friday, May 13, 2011

By April Saylor

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.

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