Competition

• :: 10 Contests*
• :: Strategy*

Solar Decathlon Overview

From October 12th-20th, 2007, a village of 20 houses will be erected over a 5 day period on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The Solar Decathlon is an international competition bringing together 20 select universities to design, build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar powered house. The contest calls for a small, completely solar-powered dwelling – maximum footprint of 800sf – and a dual program for both exhibition and inhabitation.

The decathlon requires the construction of the homes “offsite” and then transported to the mall. Each home is installed in less than four days to form the temporary exhibition village, and then removed after two weeks of competition. The design must meet the needs of the average lifestyle of the general public – each solar decathlon house is required to support all the power supply of a typical household, including lighting, cooking, cleaning, telecommunications, and a computer for home/office use, with enough energy remaining to charge an electric vehicle for getting around.