R & D
Maryland Wins Solar Decathlon
The University of Maryland beat out 18 other collegiate teams to win the 2011 Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C.
The University of Maryland’s WaterShed house won the 2011 Solar Decathlon. (Photo By: Michael W. Kahn)
Indiana’s Purdue University and Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, rounded out the top three finishers in the competition to design, build and run a solar-powered house.
Teams faced off in ten competitions, including market appeal and affordability. The winners of the Department of Energy-sponsored event were announced Oct. 1, the penultimate day of the event.
The Maryland team was runner-up in the 2007 decathlon, sat out the 2009 event, and returned this year with a house called WaterShed.
“Maryland’s WaterShed is a beautiful house,” said Richard King, Solar Decathlon director.
Its features include the ability to recycle water from the shower, clothes washer and dishwasher, as well as an automated system that monitors and adjusts temperature, humidity and lighting.
Germany’s Technische Universität Darmstadt, which won the 2007 and 2009 decathlons, did not compete this year.
For its efforts, the University of Maryland team received a trophy and bragging rights.
At the school’s College Park campus, barely 12 miles north of the decathlon site, officials were beaming.
“I couldn’t be more proud of their work and accomplishment,” said Wallace Loh, University of Maryland president. “These students, faculty and mentors have dedicated themselves to addressing critical needs of Maryland, the nation, and other countries.”
The next Solar Decathlon will be held in the fall of 2013, though it’s unclear whether it will return to the nation’s capital. DOE has asked cities interested in playing host to submit proposals.
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Solar Decathlon Photo Gallery
Tags: Energy Efficiency, R&D, Solar Energy, Solar Power