2009 Solar Decathlon Takes Over the National Mall
A Cornell University team member surveys the landscaping in front of Silo House. Photo Credit: Angel Borrego Cubero/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon
By DCist Contributor Lauren Evans
Almost overnight, the National Mall has been transformed from an expanse of sickly grass to a prim neighborhood. The houses therein have everything yours does - hot water, appliances, lights and climate control - with one major exception: an electricity bill.
The Solar Decathlon, a biennial competition sponsored by the Department of Energy, features designs by students from 20 universities in both the U.S and abroad, who come to D.C in hopes that theirs will prove the most functional solar powered house of them all.
As per its name, the Solar Decathlon’s judges will rank the houses in ten different categories, everything from architecture and engineering to market viability. Despite a long list of qualifications and restrictions, each of the houses looks remarkably distinct from its neighbors.
Team Germany, the reigning champions of the competition, erected what looks like a shiny black box, with the house’s whole façade covered in solar cells.
Others have gone for a more agrarian look: Cornell University created what appears to be a trio of aging silos enveloped by a lawn-like field of grains. But in terms of function, the “Silo House” is far from the similarly shaped structures that dot upstate New York: the building’s exterior is weather proofed with soy-based, closed-cell spray foam that gives it a much higher degree of insulation than that which is used in the typical home.
But what makes each house unique is not necessarily synonymous with what will make people want to actually live in it. Team Boston touts their house as being the most affordable, if not the most exciting to look at. Though Virginia Tech’s house boasts sliding shading and insulation panels, what might entice many observers is that operation of the house can be controlled entirely via iPhone, through an app developed by a student.
Though it may be a few years before your neighborhood comes to resemble the one currently resting on the Mall, many of the technologies implemented by the competitors are becoming more and more common in real-life homes. Since the competition began in 2002, many of the winners have gone on to begin their own green technology companies. With any luck, the houses you tour today may soon resemble one you someday live in.
The houses competing in the 2009 Solar Decathlon will be available for free tours Oct. 9-13 and 15-18, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, with the awards ceremony tentatively scheduled for 8 a.m on Friday, October 16. Check out solardecathlon.org for more details.