solardecathlon...Contest 2: Market Appeal
Contest 1: Architecture
Teams are required to design and build attractive, high-performance houses that integrate solar and energy-efficiency technology seamlessly into the design. A jury of professional architects evaluates team construction documents and the final constructed house. They evaluate three main factors: architectural elements, holistic design, and inspiration.
For the Market Appeal Contest, teams build their houses for a target market of their choosing. Teams are then asked to demonstrate the potential of their houses to keep costs affordable within that market. A jury of professionals from the homebuilding industry evaluates how well suited each house is for everyday living; determines whether the construction documents would enable a contractor to construct the house as intended, and assesses whether the house offers potential homebuyers within the target market a good value.
Contest 3: Engineering
Solar Decathlon houses are marvels of modern engineering, and this contest “checks under the hood.” A jury of professional engineers evaluates each house for functionality, efficiency, innovation, and reliability.
Contest 4: Communications
The Solar Decathlon challenges teams to communicate about the technical aspects of their houses, as well as their experiences, to a wide audience through Web sites and exhibits of their houses on the National Mall. The Communications Contest awards points to teams based on their success in delivering clear and consistent messages and images that represent the vision, process, and results of each team’s project. A jury of Web site development and public relations experts will evaluate the team Web sites, communications plans, and student-led house tours for effectiveness.
Contest 5: Affordability
New for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011, the Affordability Contest encourages teams to design and build affordable houses that combine energy-efficient construction and appliances with renewable energy systems. A professional estimator will determine the construction cost of each house. Teams can earn the maximum possible 100 points for achieving a target construction cost of $250,000 or less. A sliding point scale will be applied to houses with estimated construction costs between $250,001 and $600,000. Houses with estimated costs that are more than $600,000 will receive zero points.
Contest 6: Comfort Zone[edit]
Teams competing in the Solar Decathlon design their houses to maintain steady, uniform indoor environmental conditions. During the competition, full points are awarded for maintaining narrow temperature and relative humidity ranges inside the houses.
Contest 7: Hot water
This contest demonstrates that a solar-powered house can provide all of the energy necessary to heat water for domestic uses. Teams score points in this contest by successfully completing several daily hot water draws.
Contest 8: Appliances
The Appliances Contest is designed to mimic the appliance use and amenity in the average U.S. home while using less energy. Points are earned for refrigerating and freezing food, washing and drying laundry, and running the dishwasher.
Contest 9: Home Entertainment
The Home Entertainment Contest is designed to demonstrate that houses powered solely by the sun can deliver more than just basic household functionality. They can also provide a comfortable setting with power for the electronics, appliances, and modern conveniences that we love. The Home Entertainment Contest gauges whether the house has what it takes to be a home. Can it accommodate the pleasures of living, such as sharing meals with friends and family, watching television, or surfing the Web?
Contest 10: Energy Balance
This contest demonstrates that the sun can supply the energy necessary for all the daily energy demands of a small household. For the contest, each house is equipped with Net metering, a utility meter that measures the energy a house produces and consumes over the course of the competition. A team receives full points for producing at least as much energy as its house needs.
solardecathlon...Contest 2: Market Appeal
Contest 1: Architecture
Teams are required to design and build attractive, high-performance houses that integrate solar and energy-efficiency technology seamlessly into the design. A jury of professional architects evaluates team construction documents and the final constructed house. They evaluate three main factors: architectural elements, holistic design, and inspiration.
For the Market Appeal Contest, teams build their houses for a target market of their choosing. Teams are then asked to demonstrate the potential of their houses to keep costs affordable within that market. A jury of professionals from the homebuilding industry evaluates how well suited each house is for everyday living; determines whether the construction documents would enable a contractor to construct the house as intended, and assesses whether the house offers potential homebuyers within the target market a good value.
Contest 3: Engineering
Solar Decathlon houses are marvels of modern engineering, and this contest “checks under the hood.” A jury of professional engineers evaluates each house for functionality, efficiency, innovation, and reliability.
Contest 4: Communications
The Solar Decathlon challenges teams to communicate about the technical aspects of their houses, as well as their experiences, to a wide audience through Web sites and exhibits of their houses on the National Mall. The Communications Contest awards points to teams based on their success in delivering clear and consistent messages and images that represent the vision, process, and results of each team’s project. A jury of Web site development and public relations experts will evaluate the team Web sites, communications plans, and student-led house tours for effectiveness.
Contest 5: Affordability
New for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011, the Affordability Contest encourages teams to design and build affordable houses that combine energy-efficient construction and appliances with renewable energy systems. A professional estimator will determine the construction cost of each house. Teams can earn the maximum possible 100 points for achieving a target construction cost of $250,000 or less. A sliding point scale will be applied to houses with estimated construction costs between $250,001 and $600,000. Houses with estimated costs that are more than $600,000 will receive zero points.
Contest 6: Comfort Zone[edit]
Teams competing in the Solar Decathlon design their houses to maintain steady, uniform indoor environmental conditions. During the competition, full points are awarded for maintaining narrow temperature and relative humidity ranges inside the houses.
Contest 7: Hot water
This contest demonstrates that a solar-powered house can provide all of the energy necessary to heat water for domestic uses. Teams score points in this contest by successfully completing several daily hot water draws.
Contest 8: Appliances
The Appliances Contest is designed to mimic the appliance use and amenity in the average U.S. home while using less energy. Points are earned for refrigerating and freezing food, washing and drying laundry, and running the dishwasher.
Contest 9: Home Entertainment
The Home Entertainment Contest is designed to demonstrate that houses powered solely by the sun can deliver more than just basic household functionality. They can also provide a comfortable setting with power for the electronics, appliances, and modern conveniences that we love. The Home Entertainment Contest gauges whether the house has what it takes to be a home. Can it accommodate the pleasures of living, such as sharing meals with friends and family, watching television, or surfing the Web?
Contest 10: Energy Balance
This contest demonstrates that the sun can supply the energy necessary for all the daily energy demands of a small household. For the contest, each house is equipped with Net metering, a utility meter that measures the energy a house produces and consumes over the course of the competition. A team receives full points for producing at least as much energy as its house needs.