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Solar Decathlon Europe

Logo of Solar Decathlon Europe.

On Oct. 18, 2007, the Spanish and U.S. governments signed a memorandum of understanding in which the Spanish Ministry of Housing committed to organize and host Solar Decathlon Europe, a complementary competition to the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

For more information, see the Solar Decathlon Europe Web site.

Solar Decathlon Europe 2012

The next Solar Decathlon Europe will occur in spring/summer 2012. Proposals for participation in Solar Decathlon Europe 2012 are due Nov. 3, 2010. For more information about the application process, see the Solar Decathlon Europe Web site.

Solar Decathlon Europe 2010

Modeled after the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C., the first Solar Decathlon Europe took place in Madrid, Spain, in June 2010. The decathletes spent 10 days competing in the Villa Solar near the Royal Palace (Palacia Real) of historic Madrid. A combination of task completion, measurement, and jury scoring determined Solar Decathlon Europe's first champion: Virginia Tech.

Solar Decathlon Europe 2010 Results

Seventeen teams from nine countries competed in Solar Decathlon Europe 2010. The final standings were:

Rank Team Point Total
1 Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University 812
2 University of Applied Sciences Rosenheim 811
3 Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences 808
4 Ecole National Supérieure d'architecture de Grenoble 794
5 Helsinki University of Technology 777
6 Bergische Universität Wuppertal 773
7 Arts et Métiers Paris Tech 763
8 University of Florida 743
9 Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera 737
10 Fachhochschule fur Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin 729
11 Tongji 683
12 Universidad de Sevilla 678
13 Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña 668
14 Universidad de Valladolid 648
15 University of Nottingham 641
16 Tianjin University 585
17 Instituto de Arquitectura Avanzada de Cataluña 583

Solar Decathlon Europe 2010 Contests

Solar Decathlon Europe 2010 consisted of the 10 contests detailed below.

Contest Description
Architecture Assessed architectural design quality, coherence, flexibility of space, use of bioclimatic strategies, and seamless integration.
Construction and Engineering Evaluated the implementation of engineering and construction design principles with special attention to functionality, performance efficiency, safety, reliability, and technical soundness.
Solar Systems and Hot Water Evaluated the functionality, efficiency, robustness, and economic value of the solar and hot water systems.
Energy Balance Evaluated the degree of electric energy self-sufficiency and effective use of solar energy.
Comfort Conditions Assessed the capacity to provide a comfortable interior through control of temperature, humidity, acoustics, and lighting as well as the quality of interior air.
Usage Evaluated functionality as well as the efficiency of appliances by simulating the normal daily use of a contemporary house.
Communication and Social Media Assessed communication and public awareness about the possibilities and benefits of solar energy, energy efficiency, sustainable construction, and other topics relevant to Solar Decathlon Europe.
Industrialization and Market Viability Evaluated market viability, industrialization, and grouping possibilities.
Innovation Evaluated the incremental, emergent, or revolutionary changes in the house design, its systems, and its components that increase the house value or improve its performance.
Sustainability Evaluated the skill and environmental sensibility of the teams to design and construct a house with little environmental impact during its life cycle.