Winners of the 2011 Solar Decathlon Rejoice in Their Energy Efficient Triumph

Last year in October we discussed some of the happenings at the 2010 Solar Decathlon, an “annual collegiate competition that focuses on solar power and green building techniques”, and how the topic of responsive architecture was discussed. If you’re unfamiliar with the competition, teams work on a project for two years with goals in mind as they build a house that:

Is affordable, attractive, and easy to live in
Maintains comfortable and healthy indoor environmental conditions
Supplies energy to household appliances for cooking, cleaning, and entertainment
Provides adequate hot water
Produces as much or more energy than it consumes. (List via Solar Decathlon Website)

UT Zero Prototype — This home was created during the Solar Decathlon by the UT Knoxville team. Image via Eco Friend.

The contest was judged and run from September 23rd until October 2nd. Here are the last recorded scores for each team, within the top 5:

Maryland 951.151
Purdue 931.390
New Zealand 919.058
Middlebury College 914.809
Ohio State 903.938

One of the most intriguing aspects of this competition is the charting of the energy balance, taking a look at the created village to see how much energy was produced and how much used to help better understand energy needs and efficiency.

Have you competed in the Solar Decathlon? Share your team’s story in a comment.