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Title
Build Challenge
Subtitle
2005
Location
Washington, D.C.
Date Start
October 7
Date End
 - 16, 2005

Comfort Zone

Photo of the 2002 Tuskegee University house with the windows open.

Tuskegee University incorporated a time-proven cooling strategy — a southern "dog trot" — to maximize natural ventilation.

(100 Points)

No matter where you live and whatever the climate, you want a house that's not too cold and not too hot. A well-designed, well-insulated, and energy-efficient house can use solar energy for heating and cooling so that the home is just right. The Solar Decathlon teams will design their houses to remain a steady, uniform, comfortable temperature (and humidity) throughout and to offer a healthy indoor environment in which to live.

Teams will be judged on their ability to provide interior comfort in their houses by controlling temperature and humidity. Full points will be rewarded for maintaining narrow temperature and relative humidity ranges inside their houses. The teams will also be judged on indoor environmental and air qualities.