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| Construction has begun on the solar-powered houses for the U.S. Department of Energy's 2009 Solar Decathlon. The biennial international competition focuses on a crucial global problem — the ever-increasing need for energy — by giving students of today a chance to design the optimal solar-powered house of tomorrow. |
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Applied’s Jonathan Pickering, SCU student project manager Allison Kopf, Applied’s Mike Splinter and Michael Engh, S.J., president of Santa Clara University, in front of SCU's third-place winning 2007 solar house. |
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Team California, which Applied supports as presenting sponsor, comprises engineering students from Santa Clara University (SCU) and architecture students from California College of Arts (CCA) in San Francisco, collaborating for the first time. SCU captured third place in the competition in 2007; this is CCA's first time to compete.
The U.S. DOE selects 20 university and college teams from around the world to compete in the Solar Decathlon. There are ten areas of the competition: architecture, engineering, market viability, communications, comfort, appliances, hot water, lighting, energy balance and transportation. The house must not only produce enough electricity and hot water to perform all the functions of a home, but it must also power an electric car.
On Friday, April 3, Team California previewed their plans during a kick-off celebration at SCU. Students shared the blueprints and demonstrated the green building materials and state-of-the-art solar technology they've incorporated into their designs to minimize environmental impacts and maximize comfort and livability. Students also provided models, full scale mock-ups, and gave tours of the construction site of the 2009 solar house and of the 2007 house that won third place, which Applied also sponsored.
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"As Silicon Valley’ clean-tech ambassadors, these students will show Washington, D.C. and the world that our region has the leadership, technology and talent to drive the global, clean energy economy," said Applied Chairman and CEO Mike Splinter in his remarks to students. "By creatively incorporating solar and energy efficient design into buildings the students are demonstrating how we can improve the environment and the way people live."
"Our design is based on the ‘California lifestyle’ of indoor/outdoor living and spaces that function as much to frame the outdoors as to shelter the interiors," said Raphael Stargrove, CCA architecture student.
"We’re trying to show that you don't have to sacrifice the beauty of your home to get this well-performing house," said Allison Kopf, SCU sophomore and student project manager.
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