Solar Decathlon 2013

Team Ontario: Queen's University, Carleton University, and Algonquin College

Queen's University, Carleton University, and Algonquin College’s ECHO House placed sixth overall at the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013. The team earned the top spot in the Engineering Contest and second place in Affordability, and tied for first in Hot Water.

Team Ontario originally partnered with a local developer to include the ECHO House in a new carbon-neutral community, where it would be used as an education/information center. However, due to delays and issues with the development of the new site, the team had to cancel these plans. The house was kept in storage as the team worked to find a more suitable permanent home for it.

In fall 2016, The Queen’s Solar Design Team announced a new partnership with Bullfrog Power for the Queen’s Solar Education Centre (QSEC), a continuation of the house’s development that began with the 2013 Solar Decathlon. Now reconstructed on the Queen’s University campus, the QSEC is functioning as an off-grid structure where engineering students can experiment with green building technologies. Educational workshops are planned in the future that will allow people to learn how they can live more sustainably.

Enlarge image

ECHO House at Solar Decathlon 2013. (Credit: Jason Flakes/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon)

Who: Queen's University, Carleton University, and Algonquin College
What: ECHO House
Where:
Queen's Solar Education Centre
244 Sir John A. MacDonald Blvd.
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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Public tours: Visit http://www.qsdt.net for information on upcoming tours.