WASHINGTON, D.C. –– This weekend a team of Cornell students traveled to the capital to participate in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2009 Solar Decathlon: a competition in which teams from 20 schools in North America and Europe compete to “design, build and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar-powered house,” according DOE’s Solar Decathlon website.

The usually open green lawn of the National Mall was transformed into a “Solar Village” of zero energy homes,” a collection of houses which utilize renewable resources such as sun and wind to produce as much energy as they consume.

Emma Herzog ’10, who was in D.C. over fall break, stopped by to visit the fourth biennial Solar Decathlon. “I was completely blown away by how professional the houses were, and how complete and innovative,” she said. She was also struck by the significance of the event. “I think that a lot of people at Cornell don’t realize what a big deal it is; you go to D.C. and [the houses] are showcased at the Mall. When you think Solar Decathlon you don’t think international competition in D.C.; it was really impressive,” she added.

The teams sought to build livable homes which could provide hot water and power household electronics as well as other appliances necessary for cooking and cleaning — all while maintaining net zero energy consumption, being comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu noted in his welcome message that since homes and other buildings account for 40 percent of the energy used in the U.S., there is a need to bring household efficiency awareness to the public as well as encourage the next generation to develop innovative green technologies for the market.

This year’s decathlon teams were evaluated in 10 contests: architecture, market viability, engineering, lighting design, communications, interior temperature, hot water, appliances, home entertainment and net metering. Contests were scored based on performance of requirements such as a team’s ability to maintain a steady interior temperature and the ability to complete real-life tasks like washing dishes or doing laundry. The decathlon's judges, experts in architecture, engineering and other relevant fields, allotted points in the 10 major contests and also evaluated the aesthetics and design innovation. Teams earned extra points for producing surplus energy.

Cornell’s house is powered by an eight-kilowatt photovoltaic system which replaces traditional building materials such as roofs, window overhangs and walls with PV panels. This solar technology improves system reliability while reducing costs, according to the Solar Decathlon website. In the Silo House, the photovoltaic system was intended to echo the agriculture aesthetic commonly seen in upstate New York. The outer structure of the Silo House is comprised of three rusted, corrugated steel cylinders and contributes to the custom-designed solar thermal system.

Commenting on the Silo House’s visual appearance, Herzog said, “It had the longest line to get in. … the Cornell house had a really unique shape that drew a lot of people to it.” She was unable to visit the Silo House because the line was too long.

One of the team leaders, Thomas Murray ’10, commented, “The biggest thing we’re happy about is breaking with the box, we broke from that mold…it redefines space.”

Cornell’s Solar Decathlon team, a third year veteran of the competition, is comprised of over 150 members, representing each of Cornell’s seven colleges. Murray commented that the team felt more prepared going into the decathlon having already presented their house at the New York State Fair in September. “We hit our marks and pulled our all-nighters in the summer,” he said.

Although each Decathlon team had its own obstacles, one challenge faced by all decathletes was the need for teamwork — especially between architects and engineers. Matt Peddie, an engineer for the Ontario B.C. team, said, “Different school systems operate and think in different ways. In the work place, engineers and architects only get along because they have to.”

“It was great preparation for real world experiences,” said Silo House architect Natalie Pierro ’09. “We learned how to communicate with each other … we speak different languages, architect use flourishing words and engineers talk numbers, but after we overcame that part it was really easy and we became really good friends.”

Last year, Team Germany was declared the Decathlon winner. However, as of last night, Team California took the lead with Cornell dropping down to sixth place, after remaining consistently in the top five over the weekend. The contests will continue throughout the week until the winner is announced at the awards ceremony on October 16th. “It’s really anyone’s game at this point,” Pierra said .

As for the future of the house, the team hopes to either find a potential buyer during this exhibition period for the buy-it-now price of $150,000 — although the house is otherwise appraised at $250,000 — or be put up for auction back in New York.

Cornell’s ranking can be monitored on the Solar Decathlon website and the houses will again be open to the public next weekend.