The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon has announced the dates for its 2011 Solar Decathlon. The opening ceremony will be held Thursday, Sept. 22 with the public exhibit to follow Sept. 23 through Oct. 2.
Teams will begin to assemble their houses Tuesday, Sept. 13.
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon is an award-winning program that challenges 20 collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency.
The first Solar Decathlon was held in 2002; the competition has since occurred biennially in 2005, 2007, and 2009. The next event will take place at the National Mall’s West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., Sept. 23–Oct. 2, 2011. Open to the public free of charge, visitors can tour the houses, gather ideas to use in their own homes, and learn how energy-saving features can help them save money today.
The 20 university-led teams competing in Solar Decathlon 2011 include:
• Appalachian State University
• Florida International University
• Middlebury College
• New Zealand: Victoria University of Wellington
• The Ohio State University
• Parsons The New School for Design and Stevens Institute of Technology
• Purdue University
• The Southern California Institute of Architecture and California Institute of Technology
• Team Belgium: Ghent University
• Team Canada: University of Calgary
• Team China: Tongji University
• Team Florida: The University of South Florida, Florida State University, The University of Central Florida, and The University of Florida
• Team Massachusetts: Massachusetts College of Art and Design and the University of Massachusetts at Lowell
• Team New Jersey: Rutgers – The State University of New Jersey and New Jersey Institute of Technology
• Team New York: The City College of New York
• Tidewater Virginia: Old Dominion University and Hampton University
• University of Hawaii
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• University of Maryland
• The University of Tennessee
