Affordability Contest
(100 points)
New for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011, the Affordability Contest encouraged teams to design and build affordable houses that combined energy-efficient construction and appliances with renewable energy systems. In this way, the teams demonstrated how energy-saving features can help consumers save money today.
A professional estimator determined the construction cost of each house. Teams earned 100 points for achieving a target construction cost of $250,000 or less. A sliding point scale was then applied to houses with estimated construction costs between $250,001 and $600,000. Houses with estimated costs more than $600,000 would have received zero points.
The results of the Affordability Contest are shown in the chart below.
| Place | Team | Estimated Cost | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parsons NS Stevens | $229,890.26 | 100.000 |
| 1 | Team Belgium | $249,568.09 | 100.000 |
| 2 | Purdue | $257,853.70 | 99.215 |
| 3 | SCI-Arc/Caltech | $262,495.11 | 98.750 |
| 4 | Team Massachusetts | $267,913.06 | 98.209 |
| 5 | Middlebury College | $282,570.07 | 96.743 |
| 6 | Ohio State | $285,982.23 | 96.402 |
| 7 | Canada | $286,051.31 | 96.395 |
| 8 | Illinois | $291,812.68 | 95.819 |
| 9 | New Zealand | $303,467.92 | 94.653 |
| 10 | Tidewater Virginia | $325,613.44 | 92.439 |
| 11 | Team Florida | $334,186.35 | 91.581 |
| 12 | Maryland | $336,335.89 | 91.366 |
| 13 | Appalachian State | $342,324.86 | 90.768 |
| 14 | Team China | $345,610.36 | 90.439 |
| 15 | Florida Int'l | $368,071.97 | 83.494 |
| 16 | Team New Jersey | $389,303.55 | 75.851 |
| 17 | Team New York | $411,301.70 | 67.931 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $470,464.58 | 46.633 |
