The Solar Decathlon

In 2009 I went on a trip to Washington, D.C., with my family. By pure coincidence, we were there the same week that the Solar Decathlon was being held on the National Mall. We spent a rainy afternoon milling around, looking at the houses, learning about the competition -- and the experience has stayed with me since then. Not only am I writing this blog post about it years later, but I also used the concept in my research paper for Environmental Studies this semester.

So, what is the Solar Decathlon?

It's a competition held every two years by the U.S. Department of Energy where universities from around the world compete to build a small (800 square feet or less) house that is run entirely off solar energy. This includes electricity, heating, air conditioning, water heating, and an electric car.  The house has to be small and green, but it also has to be aesthetically pleasing, marketable and somewhat affordable. The best house all-around is the winner.

I'm going to focus on 2009's Decathlon because that is the one I attended.

The overall winner in 2009 was Team Germany.

This house's boxy design is the most energy efficient. The black panels all around the exterior are PV solar panel, that produce twice as much energy as the house needs. Inside, the house utilizes an open design and a loft to make it feel larger than it is. This was also one of the most pricey houses in the competition (around $800,000) but it's gorgeous.

Second place went to University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

This house is a cute farm style with its south-facing roof covered in solar panels. Even though this is a lot less surface area than some of the other contestants, it produces an impressive four times as much energy as needed by the house. Made of reclaimed wood, its construction cost is less than half a million.

Third place was Team California.

The beautiful design of this house maximizes outdoor spaces and windows to make the house seem larger. The flat roof is covered with PV panels. The interior features furniture that is built into the design of the house to save space.

Some of my personal favorite houses were:

Minnesota

Of course I'm biased. This house has a really nice design that is aesthetically pleasing and maximizes passive solar heat to save energy. 

Alberta

 

I really love the design of this house. It has a very Canadian aesthetic, and is beautiful inside and out.

Cornell

This was definitely one of the more creative houses at the competition. It is comprised of four large cylinders, which seems strange, but it worked really well.

Louisiana

This house was actually voted People's Choice at the Decathlon. I loved this house. The interior and exterior are both quite nice. The house uses sliding doors to make the space feel larger while still having the option of privacy.


The Solar Decathlon is a really great thing and I would love to go again. It shows people, myself included, that living in a well-made house can be great, no matter its size. As I discovered in a research project, small houses are better for the environment in every way than large houses. They use less building materials and way less energy. Even an energy-efficient large house can't compete with an inefficient small house. Although these Decathlon houses are quite pricey, many designers are building small houses that are also affordable.

And of course, solar energy is a no-brainer. Many of the decathlon houses have found ways to make it an extremely efficient and practical energy source. The price is still high, but with further innovation and investment it will decrease.

The housing trend is beginning to reverse toward smaller residences and many people are concerned about energy use, so hopefully houses like these will begin to spring up in conventional neighborhoods.