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Photos of this event - click here
Mention a decathlon team on The Ohio State University campus and the first response probably would be that it’s a group of athletes preparing for the 10 track and field events in the Olympics.
Not this time, however. This decathlon team is composed of 60 non-descript students representing 20 academic majors who will represent the university in the International Solar Competition in Washington, D.C., October 12-20.
Their entry is an 800-square-foot solar powered house with focuses on 10 different categories: architecture, market viability, engineering, lighting design, communications, comfort zone, hot water, appliances, home entertainment, and energy and balance.
The entry, a collaborative project between the Knowlton School of Architecture and the College of Engineering is known as Solar House 1. This is the first time Ohio State has entered the competition sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Energy to build and operate the most engaging, energy efficient, solar-powered home.
Kara Shell and Kurtis Meyer, OSU graduate and undergraduate students, respectively, brought their enthusiasm for the project to members and guests of the Central Ohio IFMA Chapter during the July program at Dupler Office. Shell is a team project leader and Meyer is fund raising and outreach project manager.
(The early-morning program had been scheduled for The Confluence Restaurant, but Stephan Cooke, Program Committee chair, found that facility closed due to an apparent miscommunication. Nevertheless, he skillfully directed everyone to Dupler Office less than five minutes away and the program proceeded on schedule. Chapter officers expressed their appreciation to Dupler Office for making their showroom and office space available.)
The Solar Decathlon takes place on the National Mall where the houses will be open for touring everyday, except October 17, when they will close for competition purposes. Category winners are announced through out the event with an overall winner selected on October 19.
Solar Decathlon houses must provide all the home energy needs of a typical family using only the power of the sun. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends aesthetics and modern conveniences with maximum energy production and optimal efficiency.
Ohio State will be competing against 19 other colleges and universities, including the 2007 winner Technische Universidät Darmstadt, Germany. In addition there are teams from two Canada schools; Spain; and four from the Big Ten Conference, Penn State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
Each team receives $100,000 from the Department of Energy for their project. However, by the time the Ohio State house is finished and ready for transporting to D.C., the students will have invested nearly $600,000 in their entry, most of which came from a host of sponsors. It is estimated the house, which can accommodate two people and probably eight guests, would sell for about $250,000 if put into production.
The team hopes to erect the house on Capitol Square in downtown Columbus for a couple weeks on its return from Washington and afterward locate it at the Columbus Zoo where it will as remain a visitor attraction.
While 800 square feet may small, most of the space will always be useable because the kitchen, dining, bathroom, bedroom, and recreation areas are being built along the walls. Doors close off each section when not in use, making the area being used larger.
To heat the house by the sun and without fossil fuels, double-sided solar panels are being installed. The ambient light from the sun hitting the panels will be absorbed by the underside, increasing energy production by 15 per cent.
In 2007 the average yearly energy consumption was 11,232 kilowatt-hours, according to the Energy Information Administration Web site. Solar House 1 is expected to produce 8,300 kWh of energy in a year solely from power from the sun. With the average price of 8.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, a homeowner may save about $705 a year.
Insulated tubes, or evacuated tube arrays, will heat and distribute water to sinks, showers, and appliances. They will be located on the south side of the house and heated by the sun's rays. Even the floor will be heated by the evacuated tube arrays that run underneath the flooring.
Temperatures and the condition of the house can be controlled miles away from home, by using the Internet or a cell phone with Internet capabilities.
Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee spoke at the kick-off event and said he believes sustainability is an important issue. He also offered to live in the house for a month, labeling it the “Best damn house in the land.”