Off Grid Home Blog

The Solar Decathlon has been a huge hit in the United States. The event pits college students from the around the world in a contest to build the most effective, efficient and economically feasible solar-powered home. Since 2002, the Solar Decathlon has been held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. This is the first time the competition has traveled overseas.

The opening ceremony in Villa Solar culminated with student decathletes from all 18 teams standing together on stage for a photo op in front of a large digital display reading “El Poder de Sol” — Sun Power.

The collegiate teams have come to Solar Decathlon Europe 2010 from as far away as China and the United States, as well as Spain, France, Germany, the UK and Finland. The two teams representing the United States are the University of Florida and Virgina Polytechnic Institute & State University.

Solar Decathlons USA and Europe challenge student teams to build a home completely powered by solar energy. Given today’s wide range of technology, that may seem easy, but for one parameter: the homes must be affordable. The real challenge for these students is to create a solar home using today’s technology that could be marketed to the masses, serving to put young people’s creativity to practical and renewable use.

The solar homes these students have created (and transported to the competition site) will be tested in a number of categories, including architecture, engineering, solar systems & hot water, energy balance, comfort conditions, usage, communications & social media, market viability, industrialization, innovation and sustainability.

The most recent Solar Decathlon was held in October of 2009 on the National Mall, with Team Germany edging out Teams Illinois and California for the victory. Check out the teams, their solar homes and keep up on events at sdeurope.org. You can also follow a blog by Richard King, director of the Solar Decathlon America, who is in attendance at Villa Solar in Madrid and is chronicling the 11-day competition.

If you happen to be in Europe, the Villa Solar (Solar Village) in downtown Madrid is open and free to the public at designated times during the decathlon.

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The 2009 Solar Decathlon is over, and although Team Germany took home first prize this year, every one of the 20 competing teams is worthy of honorable mention. Not least of which is Virginia Tech’s LUMENHAUS. The house is made with super-efficient glass walls and doors with an open-floor design to allow maximum light [...]

So it’s halftime at the 2009 Solar Decathlon. The contest pits 20 student teams from colleges and universities across the country (and a few even farther than that) against each other in a race to build the ultimate solar-powered home.

As of the close of competition on Tuesday, October 12, Team California is in first place. [...]