Astralux Power Systems: 2009 Solar Decathalon
As the 2009 Solar Decathlon winds to a close, the winners have been announced, and now the houses are open for continued public viewing. It is important to reflect back on the Solar Decathlon, its purpose, what it means for the participants as well as solar as a whole.
As many heard, the awards ceremony that took place this morning pronounced Team Germany as the overall winner of the competition. They finished with a final score of 908.297 out of 1000 points, just barely beating the second place winner, University of Illinois at 897.300 points and Team California in third place with 863.089 points. All of the teams produced fantastic homes and it is always interesting to see what they do with their homes and design ideas when they get back.
The Department of Energy began the Solar Decathlon in 2002 and holds it every other year on the National Mall. It is a chance for the top 20 college teams in the nation and world to compete in 10 different contests, which are architecture, market viability, engineering, lighting design, communications, comfort zone, hot water, appliances, home entertainment, and net metering. The purpose of the decathlon is not only to promote renewable energy and the potential of zero energy homes, but also to foster the education, teamwork and knowledge in the participants, who are the future architects, engineers, builders and communicators of our world. Furthermore, the Department of Energy uses this event as an opportunity to educate the public about renewable energy, efficiency, and the benefits of solar power, as well as to promote R & D in the renewable energy field.
The Solar Decathlon is an exciting event and we want to extend our congratulations to Team Germany and all of the fantastic competitors. It is always interesting to follow and more can be seen at http://www.solardecathlon.
Original post blogged on b2evolution.