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Team California Wins Architecture; University of Louisiana-Lafayette Wins Market Viability at Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

Posted on: Monday, 12 October 2009, 16:36 CDT

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Team California took the early lead today in the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon by winning the Architectural contest. The Solar Decathlon, an international design competition held on the National Mall, challenges university-led teams to design, build and operate the most attractive, functional, and energy efficient solar-powered homes. This is the fourth time DOE has held the competition since 2002.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091012/DC91095-a)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091012/DC91095-b)

Team California moved up to first place today from third place by winning the Architecture contest with a score of 98 points and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's "Cajun-style" home, built to withstand dramatic weather, won Market Viability with a score of 97 points. Both contests were announced today and were worth a possible 100 points.

Architectural Juror Jonathan Knowles, from Rhode Island School of Design, said Team California's creation of microclimates in the home went well beyond expectations of competition rules and that the home broke out of the box in aesthetic appeal.

"Team California created a solar home with a beautiful design in every respect, incorporating a crystal-clear concept that successfully translates a regional architecture to Washington, D.C.," Knowles said. "The interior and exterior appears as one."

Rice University claimed second place with 95 points and Team Germany and Virginia Tech tied for third place with 94 points in the Architecture contest. Rice University also impressed jurors to claim second place in Market Viability with their affordable row house, meant to be cost effective for low-to-middle income families in Houston's Third Ward.

Team California and Iowa State tied for third place in the Market Viability contest with 92 points.

For Architecture, the jury evaluated the homes on the following criteria:

• Architectural elements - The house's strength, suitability, appropriateness of building materials, scale and proportion of room and facade features, indoor and outdoor connections, composition, and connection of various home elements
• Holistic design - Ease of entry into the house and circulation around the public and private areas, architectural strategy used to accommodate the technologies required to run the house, and generosity and sufficiency of space in the house
• Inspiration - Surprises, unusual use of ordinary materials, or use of extraordinary materials
  

For Market Viability, a jury evaluated the homes on the following criteria:

• Livability - How well the home fits the specific needs of a targeted homeowner and whether it is a safe, comfortable, and convenient place to live
• Buildability - Whether the home can be built efficiently at a cost-competitive price and constructed the way the team intended it to be built
• Marketability - How well the house's curb appeal, interior appeal, quality craftsmanship, as well as its sustainability features and integration of solar technology, offer potential homebuyers a good value
  

Virtual Tours of all 20 Solar Decathlon homes can be viewed online at: www.solardecathlon.org/virtual_tours/

Results from the next contest, Communications, worth 75 points, will be announced tomorrow, October 13 at 10:00 a.m. in the Solar Village on the National Mall. The Solar Decathlon's overall winner will be announced on Friday, October 16 at 8:00 a.m.

The Department of Energy Solar Decathlon is open to the public through October 18. The houses are open for tours each day from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., except October 14, when they are closed for competition purposes.

For full event information, current standings, high-resolution photos, videos, an event schedule and daily results, visit www.solardecathlon.org.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Energy

Source: PR Newswire

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