Iowa State to compete in 2009 Solar Decathlon
AMES — A team of Iowa State students and faculty has been chosen from an international pool of applicants to compete in the 2009 Solar Decathlon sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on the National Mall in Washington, DC.
To be held in September 2009, the Solar Decathlon will transform the Mall into a small village of solar-powered homes designed, built, and maintained by 20 student-led teams from 25 universities and colleges. In past competitions, the solar homes used battery banks for storage, but for the 2009 event, homes will be tied to an electrical grid built specifically for the competition. In fact, net metering has been added to the list of 10 evaluation criteria that give the competition its name; the others are architecture, market viability, engineering, lighting design, communications, comfort zone, hot water, appliances, and home entertainment.
The goal of the Solar Decathlon competition is to help make solar power cost-competitive with conventional forms of electricity by the year 2015. The Iowa State proposal was approved by the DOE in January. In preparation for their submission, faculty advisors and a student steering committee met weekly for more than a year to discuss the project. Known as the "Interlock House," the design uses photovoltaic panels to generate electricity, a hydronic system for radiant heat, and cooling vents to balance overall energy flows. The design also provides the chance to test new spatial composition strategies and smart envelopes for capturing and storing passive solar energy.
"The name 'Interlock' is related to the interlocking of all disciplines involved and of active and passive means to control the house environment," said Ulrike Passe, assistant professor of architecture who is leading the project. "It also evokes integration of outdoor spaces into the house composition and underscores how the house can potentially interlock with existing suburban neighborhoods to create more sustainable communities."
In addition to achieving a positive energy balance, the Interlock House will use recycled and recyclable materials whenever feasible and showcase a variety of new biocomposite materials under development at Iowa State, such as soy glues and soy plastics. The design also calls for strict water conservation strategies, such as grey water recycling and rainwater collection.
In Phase I of the competition, the ISU team will complete its schematic design drawings and a preliminary website and communication plans by June 2008. The drawings will include information about building materials, structural systems, mechanical systems, electrical systems, and methods of construction. During summer 2008, the team will undertake performance evaluations, energy analyses and debut a comprehensive website. In fall 2008, component testing will be completed, especially for biocomposite and recycled materials. By December 2008, the team is required to submit all construction documents, workshop preparations, and health and safety plans.
"Students in the workshop have been considering an array of issues and coming up with a number of options for the house design," said Clare Cardinal-Pett, associate professor of architecture who is teaching the workshop course. "They have received a lot of feedback from student team members and faculty from many departments. It has already been a fantastic interdisciplinary effort."
During Phase II, the team will construct the house at Iowa State during spring and summer 2009 and disassemble it for transportation to the National Mall, where it will be reassembled for the competition in September 2009. The team is considering transporting the house using trucks powered by biodiesel fuel or by rail. After the competition, the house will be brought back to campus to be used as an educational facility and laboratory for green building technologies.
More than 150 Iowa State students from five colleges and more than a dozen departments are expected to participate in the project, either through the extracurricular Solar Decathlon Club or through specific coursework focusing on the project. The team also hopes to involve the building trades program at Des Moines Area Community College, Ankeny; and the Sustainable Energy Technology Program at Iowa Central Community College, Fort Dodge.
In past competitions, the houses have cost upwards of $600,000 for research, construction and transportation expenses. So far, the Iowa State team has received some funding from the DOE and campus sponsors, but more is needed, and organizers are seeking additional monetary and material donations from individuals and businesses. For more information on how to support the team, please contact Prof. Kimberly Zarecor at zarecor@iastate.edu or (515) 294-5026. Online donations are being handled by the Iowa State Foundation.
You can also learn more about the project on the ISU Solar Decathlon Team website at http://solard.iastate.edu. For information on the international Solar Decathlon competition, see http://www.solardecathlon.org.