Originally published on the US Department of Energy Website
As if designing and building solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive wasn’t challenging enough, the teams competing in the Solar Decathlon must also overcome another hurdle: Safely transporting their houses to the competition site in Irvine, California. Whether the houses have to travel 50 miles or 10,000, the transportation decisions the teams make can directly impact their final design.
The 300 block of Decathlete Way illuminates with the houses from Canada, Team China and Illinois, from left to right, at the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 in Washington, D.C.
Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.
Early on, teams must decide how they will move their houses, the appliances and furniture for public exhibit, and all the equipment necessary to reassemble the house for the competition. Not only do they have to consider transportation costs, the teams also have to factor in the size restrictions for each mode of transportation. And since the teams only have nine days to reassemble their houses before the start of the competition, they have to plan down to the minute the arrival of their house to the competition site. For the complete story, see the Solar Decathlon website and Energy Blog.
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