If you’re ready for another glimpse into what the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 teams are up to, check out the updated 2015 team pages, reports Carol Laurie for Solar Decathlon. They now include links to the teams’ own websites!
As part of the Communications Contest, teams create websites to share information about their projects and their progress. Over the next year, the teams will continue to expand their websites and social media presence. At the start of the competition in October 2015, Communications Contest jurors will evaluate the websites for effectiveness, ease of use, compliance with U.S. government standards, and other attributes.
Gwen Cook of Middlebury College gives Communications Contest jurors a house tour during Solar Decathlon 2013. The Communications Contest challenges teams to educate others about their houses, their experiences, and their projects. | Credit: Eric Grigorian/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon
In addition to team electronic communications, the Communications Contest jurors review public exhibit materials and presentation, an audiovisual presentation, and overall communications strategy. They award points for quality, creativity, delivery, and innovation.
Stay tuned for more from the Solar Decathlon teams. In January 2015, Solar Decathlon will give us computer-animated walkthroughs and renderings of the team houses. In the meantime, learn all about the current plans and design concepts on the team websites.
Solar photovoltaic panels on the carport and roof along with the green roof on West Virginia’s PEAK house, not only support the energy efficiency of the house, they also add to the rustic charm. | Credit: Amber Archangel
West Virginia University is teamed with the University of Rome Tor Vergata for Solar Decathlon 2015. According to their website, the dual-country team is merging Italian and Appalachian design concepts to build a solar powered home for the 2015 competition. You may remember West Virginia’s house from the 2013 competition, it was the zero energy log cabin pictured above.
The 2015 team calls their house STILE and says that it is a simple and compact house covered by an elegant, Roman-inspired arch. The arch creates a covered passage that guides visitors inside, shades the house, and supports the solar energy arrays. A patio occurs naturally as a result of the arch’s shading effect. Based on their appealing entry in the 2013 competition, this team’s house will be exciting to see and walk through.
If you’re thinking about attending the totally cool event check out this information: Solar Decathlon 2015 will be held October 8-18, 2015, at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California.
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