Affordability Contest
Solar Decathlon 2011
(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 |