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| Technische Universitat Darmstadt wins contest in Solar Decathlon  The German Technische Universitat Darmstadt took an early lead in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Solar Decathlon by winning the architecture contest -- the first of ten contests -- receiving 193.25 points out of a possible 200 points. The Solar Decathlon is a competition where 20 university-led teams from across the United States, and from Canada, Germany, and Spain, are competing to design, build and operate the most attractive, functional, and energy efficient solar-powered home. Following close behind the winning team from Germany, the University of Maryland finished in second place with 189.5 points, and the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid finished in third place, with 187.5 points.The ten contests that make up the Solar Decathlon measure many aspects of a home's performance and appearance. A perfect total score for all ten contests in the Solar Decathlon is 1,200 points. And of the 10 contests, architecture is worth up to 200 points, followed by Engineering and Market Viability, which are each worth up to 150 points and are scored subjectively. The other seven contests, each worth up to 100 points, measure performance and award points daily through the competition on: Lighting, Communications, Comfort Zone, Appliances, Hot Water, Energy Balance, and Getting Around. The Solar Decathlon complements President Bush's Solar America Initiative, which seeks to make solar energy cost-competitive with conventional forms of electricity by 2015. The Solar Decathlon's overall winner will be announced on Friday, October 19, 2007. Held on the National Mall in Washington, DC, DOE's Solar Decathlon is open to the public through Saturday, October 20, 2007. Photo: Kaye Evans-Lutterodt/Solar Decathlon. write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Construction News :: home page |