DIY Network

Solar Decathlon: Solar Village Tour From "Special Presentation" episode DSDL05-S

After seven days of round-the-clock construction, it's time to start the competition and get a good look at what the students have designed and built.

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Solar Village Tour

University of Texas at Austin Solar Decathlon Team

• Calls their house a 'snap house.' It's called this because the pre-built modules snap together for easy construction.

• The outside is clad with reclaimed redwood acting as a rain screen.

• Uses local mesquite wood flooring and the bathroom is finished with recycled glass tile.

• A green roof with native Texas grasses provides added natural insulation.

Washington State University Solar Decathlon Team

• House has a loft feel with an open floor plan.

• Incorporated the bathroom, vanity, laundry, all of their cabinetry and even the kitchen into a full on shipping container.

University of Missouri at Rolla Solar Decathlon Team

• Home is a beautiful example of a classic Frank Lloyd Wright prairie style house...complete with built-in furniture and 28 clearstory windows.

Crowder College Solar Decathlon Team

• Looked to famous American architect Gustav Stickley for inspiration with the arts and crafts style design.

Pittsburgh Synergy Solar Decathlon Team

• The north and south walls outside tilt 12 degrees to the south, literally reaching out to the sun.

• For added ambient light and insulation, the north wall is built from sheets of polycarbonate.

University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth Solar Decathlon Team

• Went with a simple design using off-the-shelf materials, deemphasizing complex technology.

• Plan to donate their home to charity after the competition.

Rhode Island School of Design Solar Decathlon Team

• Designed house to be long and narrow.

• Metallic louvers help keep it shaded and a modern interior gives the house a very contemporary feel.

University of Michigan Solar Decathlon Team

• Exterior of their home is made entirely of welded aluminum.

• Lots of glass and a curve on the south wall create a "solar chimney" effect. That curve allows air to flow passively.

Team Canada Solar Decathlon Team

• Used bricks soaked in a special liquid as an energy storage medium. Under the floor, the bricks radiate warmth throughout the house.

University of Colorado Solar Decathlon Team

• Materials in the house are derived from agriculture feed stocks.

University of Puerto Rico Solar Decathlon Team

• Used all off-the-shelf materials to prove that any house can go solar.

For more information on the Solar Decathlon competition and the teams that participated, click HERE!

RESOURCES :

Solar Decathlon
Website: www.solardecathlon.com

Solar Decathlon Product Directory
Website: www.ebike.net/sd/index.php?source=doe

California Polytechnic State University
Website: www.solardecathlon.calpoly.edu/

Canadian Solar Decathlon
Concordia University and Universite de Montreal
Website: www.canadiansolar.org

Cornell University
Website: www.cusd.cornell.edu/

Crowder College
Website: www.crowder.edu/solar/2005/

Florida International University
Website: www.solar.fiu.edu/

New York Institute of Technology
Website: http://iris.nyit.edu/solardecathlon/

Pittsburgh Synergy
Carnegie Mellon, University of Pittsburgh and
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh
Website: www.pittsburghsynergy.org

Rhode Island School of Design
Website: http://solar.risd.edu/

Universidad Politecnica de Madrid
Website: www.solardecathlon.upm.es/

Universidad de Puerto Rico
Website: http://solar.uprm.edu/

University of Colorado, Denver and Boulder
Website: http://solar.colorado.edu/

University of Maryland
Website: www.solarhouse.umd.edu/

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Website: www.umassd.edu/solar/

University of Michigan
Website: www.misohouse.org

University of Missouri-Rolla and
Rolla Technical Institute
Website: http://solarhouse.umr.edu/

University of Texas at Austin
Website: www.utsolard.org

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Website: http://vtsolar.arch.vt.edu/

Washington State University
Website: www.arch.wsu.edu/solardec/