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Solar Decathlon 2011

Solar Decathlon Juries

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 included several contests that relied on jurors to determine their results. These jurors served on the contest juries for Solar Decathlon 2011.

Contest Jurors

Architecture

Photo of Paul Hutton.

Paul Hutton

Paul Hutton is founder and principal at Hutton Architecture Studio in Denver, Colorado. He presented research at the First International Daylighting Conference in 1983 and has been developing expertise in the integration of electric lighting and daylighting ever since. Paul teaches the Daylighting course at the University of Colorado College of Architecture and has been heavily involved with administration of the Governor's Energy Office High-Performance Building Program. Paul is a board member of the American Institute of Architect's Committee on Architecture for Education, for which he plans conferences and helps direct the activities of the 7,000-member Knowledge Community.

He received his bachelor's degree from Princeton University and separate master's degrees in Architecture and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia. Paul lives on a sustainable ranch south of Denver, where he is actively pursuing the goal of net-zero energy.

Photo of Michelle Kaufmann.

Michelle Kaufmann

Michelle Kaufmann is an advocate for smarter ways to design, build, and live. Her mission is to make thoughtful, sustainable design accessible.

Michelle's firm, Michelle Kaufmann Studio, was given the 2008 Top Firm Award by Residential Architect. Michelle has been called "the Henry Ford of green homes" by the Sierra Club, was named 2009 Green Advocate of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders, was included in Business 2.0 magazine's list of "100 People Who Matter Now," and was listed as one of the "The Green 50" by INC magazine. In addition, Michelle has had a number of her homes showcased in museums.

Michelle received her undergraduate degree from Iowa State University and her master's degree from Princeton University. She has been a lecturer and keynote speaker for numerous events, has taught at Iowa State University and Woodbury University, and, prior to founding Michelle Kaufmann Studio, was an associate with Frank O. Gehry.

Photo of Bob Schubert.

Bob Schubert

Bob Schubert is a professor of architecture and associate dean for research in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Tech. He has taught at Virginia Tech since 1974 and is a veteran of three Solar Decathlons (2002, 2005, and 2009) as a faculty advisor. The Virginia Tech team was declared the winner of 2010's Solar Decathlon Europe.

Bob's research has been in the areas of energy and building design with an emphasis on promoting architectural solutions that minimize the dependence on nonrenewable energy sources and environment-degrading processes. This work is represented in a co-authored book, "Alternative Energy Sources in Building Design," 1974. He developed a course titled Environmental Design and Sustainability, which he has taught for the past 15 years.

Bob received the Excellence in Architecture award in 1992 and 2006 from the Virginia Society of the American Institute of Architects and the 2010 Prize for Design Research and Scholarship.

Engineering

Photo of A. Hunter Fanney

A. Hunter Fanney

Dr. A. Hunter Fanney is the chief of and a supervisory mechanical engineer in the Building Environment Division of the Engineering Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which he joined in 1977. Before joining NIST, he worked as a research and development engineer at E.I. du Point de Nemours and Company. His duties included development, testing, and commercialization of equipment used in production of textile fibers, and development of innovative instrumentation.

Dr. Fanney is an active member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. In addition, he is a member of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers; ASTM International; Phi Tau Sigma; Phi Kappa Phi; and Sigma XI and is a Life Member of the American Solar Energy Society.

He has received numerous awards and authored more 60 technical papers. In addition, he holds a patent for an innovative solar water heating system.

Photo of William Rittelmann.

William Rittelmann

William Rittelmann, P.E., is a building energy consultant with 25 years of experience in commercial and residential projects. His experience includes 13 years as a senior research associate with IBACOS in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, working with the U.S. Department of Energy Building America program. Prior to that, he was an associate with Burt Hill Architects & Engineers, a leading international design firm. He has designed, simulated, and monitored the performance of many energy-efficient homes, including a multiyear monitoring project of 20 solar homes in Civano in Tucson, Arizona.

He has authored papers for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy; the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); the American Solar Energy Society; and the Energy and Environmental Building Alliance. He is the past vice chairman of the ASHRAE technical committee for Central Forced-Air Heating and Cooling Systems and a member of the American Solar Energy Society. He received his bachelor's degree in Architectural Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University.

Photo of David A. Springer.

David A. Springer

David Springer is cofounder and president of Davis Energy Group, a 30-year-old mechanical engineering firm specializing in building energy efficiency. He has managed or participated in projects involving energy efficiency and zero-energy building programs, energy standards development, technology assessments, product development, and mechanical design. For the past nine years, he has managed Davis Energy Group's participation in the Department of Energy-sponsored Building America program and currently directs the Alliance for Advanced Residential Buildings team. He has authored 18 papers and articles on energy subjects and holds six patents for building energy technologies. He is an active member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers and currently serves on the SPC 152R standards committee.

Market Appeal

Photo of Susan Aiello.

Susan Aiello

Susan Aiello is the founder and president of Interior Design Solutions. She specializes in healthy, comfortable, inviting, and ecologically responsible interiors that are tangible expressions of her clients' missions and core values, brands, and personalities and interests.

She writes a blog, Green Interior Design Solutions, and contributes to academic journals. Her articles include "Strategic Planning for Healthier Indoor Environments" for Sustainability: The Journal of Record and "Addressing Financial Objections to Sustainable Initiatives" for the Journal of Green Building. She has presented lectures—including "Making Any Interior Greener Using LEED Principles," "Saving on Sustainability," and "Branding Through Interior Design"—for NeoCon (North America's largest design exposition and conference for commercial interiors).

Susan is a past president of the New York Metropolitan Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers and a member of the steering committee for the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce's Green Initiative.

Photo of Brad Beeson.

Brad Beeson

Brad Beeson provides green building consulting and marketing services for Bethesda Bungalows, an award-winning custom home builder in the Washington, D.C., metro area. In 2009, he led the Incredibly Green Home project—the first home in the nation to receive both LEED Platinum and National Green Building Standard Emerald certifications. Brad was a featured speaker at the 2011 International Builders' Show, where he presented on green site development using the National Green Building Standard. He recently was a jury member for the EcoHome Magazine Design Awards. He is currently providing green building consultation for the National Institute of Standards and Technology Net Zero Energy Residential Test Facility, under construction in Gaithersburg, Maryland. In 1991, he earned a bachelor's degree in Art and Design from Iowa State University.

Photo of Joyce Mason.

Joyce Mason

A certified green professional, Joyce Mason markets new home communities for Pardee Homes, one of the nation's most prominent multiregional builders. She developed Pardee's LivingSmart® brand to promote energy and water savings, indoor air quality, and use of earth-friendly building materials.

Pardee's LivingSmart Homes at Fair Oaks Ranch was the first California neighborhood to earn the National Association of Home Builders Research Lab National Green Building Standard Gold Certification. A member of the Building Industry Institute Advisory Board for California Green Builder, Joyce earned The State of California Earth Award for Pardee's LivingSmart neighborhoods and habitat preservation in San Diego. Pardee Homes has received the National Association of Home Builders' Green Builder of the Year award and several Sustainable Community of the Year awards.

She also devotes time to HomeAid America. On its behalf, she coordinated the display of a Pardee-built playhouse at the National Building Museum to teach children about green building. She currently serves as president of the Los Angeles County Chapter.

Communications

Photo of Ryan Dings.

Ryan Dings

As the director of business development of Blu Homes, Ryan spearheaded its efforts to expand its sales network by planning for entry into markets in which customers share the same principles and philosophies embodied in Blu's healthy green homes. Ryan has participated in an interdisciplinary initiative within Blu to align the company's process with its messaging and branding, which culminated in the development of a refined marketing campaign. Ryan also personally manages Blu's partnerships and projects with builders and developers interested in developing eco-friendly communities. With a background spanning design, development, and law, Ryan brings experience and an environmental commitment to every project. Ryan received his bachelor's degree in Economics and American History from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, his J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law, and his master's in Design Studies (with a concentration in real estate) from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

Photo of Mark Walhimer.

Mark Walhimer

Mark Walhimer Exhibition Design specializes in the planning, design, and management of interactive educational experiences. Walhimer started his firm in 1999 to assist startup and expanding museums with exhibition design, art handling, project management, fabrication, and installation. He has completed more than 40 projects worldwide for an international clientele that includes science centers, art museums, history museums, libraries, and corporations. Current projects include "Alcatraz: Life on the Rock," a 2800-ft2 traveling exhibition that opens on Ellis Island in October 2011 and the Trans Studio Science Center opening summer 2011 in Bandung, Indonesia. Prior to starting Mark Walhimer Exhibition Design, Walhimer held positions at Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, California; the Children's Museum of Manhattan; and Delphi Productions. He has a bachelor's degree in studio art from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, and a master's degree in industrial design and exhibition design from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

Photo of Stacy Wilson.

Stacy Wilson

Stacy Wilson, ABC, is founder and president of Eloquor Consulting Inc, a firm specializing in internal communication. The firm's emphasis is on helping companies leverage Web and social technology to drive employee engagement and action. In her 25-plus years of experience, Stacy has held leadership positions in human capital consulting firms and served as director of internal/executive communication for Sprint Corp.. Working in the utility and energy industries since 1996, her experience includes work with Excel Energy, ConocoPhillips, URENCO Limited, ONEOK, and Williams.

Stacy is a frequent speaker/author and the North American trainer on intranet/portal governance for Melcrum Publishing. Stacy is a past director of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) District 5, past IABC International Board of Directors member, and past chair of the IABC Southern Region Conference. Stacy has a bachelor of fine arts degree in public relations from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and is accredited by IABC.

Affordability Contest Officials

Photo of Matt Hansen.

Matt Hansen

Matt Hansen is a principal at Licata Hansen Associates Architecture (LHAA) and founder/owner of Takeoff Construction Estimating. For more than 40 years, Matt has been involved in the construction industry as a builder, estimator, planner, and designer. LHAA is renown in the Sierra Nevada region as a leader in public and private sustainable, responsible architecture. Takeoff Construction Estimating is a national firm with clients including Home Depot, Lowes, Meeks Lumber, and numerous smaller lumber suppliers and contractors. Working with groups such as Sustainable Tahoe, Creative Energy Solutions, the University of Nevada, and now the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Matt has become a nationally recognized estimator and designer of our nation's next-generation built environment. He is a member of the National Association of Professional Estimators, a certified accessibility plans examiner, and on the board of several local planning and regulatory agencies.

Photo of Ric Lacata.

Ric Lacata

Ric Licata has more than 35 years of experience in architecture and planning. He is on the national board of directors of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and is former president of the AIA, Nevada. He serves on U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's Blue Ribbon Panel on Clean Energy.

As a principal author of the Blueprint for Nevada - A Sustainable Plan for Livable Communities, Ric has been an advocate of environmental and social improvement his entire career. He has been awarded the Silver Medal from AIA Nevada and is the only architect to receive the AIA Nevada Livable Communities Medal. Ric is the seventh Nevadan to be selected a fellow of the AIA. He is also a member of the Nevada System of Higher Education's Chancellor's Task Force on Green Building.

Ric earned his Masters of Architecture from the New School of Architecture and Design (San Diego). He formerly worked for the AIA Research Corp., which resulted in the book New Design Concepts for Energy Conserving Buildings. He is a professor of Architecture at Truckee Meadows Community College.