Over the weekend of October 8th, 2005, we made the trip down to D.C. for the second Solar Decathlon competition on the National Mall. This was the second event of its kind. The first Solar Decathlon was held in 2002, and the next one is scheduled for 2007. (click here to see our photos from the first solar decathlon.)

We were there on an overcast but otherwise dry Sunday of Colombus day weekend. When the houses opened at 9:00, we were able to walk right in for the guided tours. But the crowds grew quickly, and by mid-afternoon the lines were about an hour long. Event organizers estimated that 20,000 people visited the Solar Decathlon that day.

The Solar Decathlon is comprised of 10 contests, mostly to do with energy efficiency, mechanical and electrical systems. The architecture contest is worth the most points, and Virginia Tech took first prize in that category. Overall, the University of Colorado took 1st prize once again. (They also won the first solar decathlon in 2002). The official Solar Decathlon website is at www.solardecathlon.org.

For us, what was more important than seeing who won was getting a chance to see the latest green design technologies and materials that are out there. Because they are judged on how well their solar systems power the houses, everything about the homes are super-efficient, from the appliances to the building envelope. Some of the products are available to the public today, while others are brand new or only available abroad. A couple of the schools are applying for patents on new products they developed. For the wall construction, most of the houses used SIPs (structural insulated panels) with R values up to R-40. A few teams used phase-change material for the storage and distribution of heat energy. And one team used hydrogen fuel cells instead of batteries to store the solar power.

See below for our photos and comments on each of the houses. They are in the order in which they placed in the competition. For further reference, click on the team websites. Most of them are pretty good at explaining how their systems work and what materials and appliances they used.


1. University of Colorado Once again, they came in first overall.		2. Cornell One of our personal favorites

3. California Polytechnic Nice interiors & use of materials		4. Virginia Tech Another of our favorites; won best design

5. New York Institute of Technology Hydrogen fuel cell used to store energy		6. University of Texas at Austin the SNAP house: a modular design

7. University of Missouri - Rolla modern solution in a conventional package		8. University of Maryland Peoples Choice Award winner.

9. Polytechnic University of Madrid the only European team to compete		10. Pittsburgh Synergy Carnegie Mellon + Pitt + the Art Institute

11. University of Puerto Rico Island architecture on the Washington mall		12. Crowder College, Missouri Arts and Crafts house

13. Florida designed for hot climates		14. Canada designed for cold climates

15. Washington State Feels spacious inside, but PVC kills the deal		16. Rhode Island School of Design good interiors; phase-change radiant cooling

17. University of Michigan cool solar chimney within the curved roof		18. U Mass, Dartmouth Better luck next time...