Opening Ceremony Solar Decathlon Today
Friday, October 12:
by, Reggie “Razmataz” Rasmussen
A grand day in the solar industry; today is the opening ceremony of the Solar Decathlon. The event takes place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., October 12 – 20. The Solar Decathlon joins 20 college and university teams in a competition to design, build, and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered house.
Just like the well-known Olympic decathlon, the Solar Decathlon consists of ten contests. But the Solar Decathlon centers on all of the ways in which we use energy in our daily lives—at work, at home, and at play.
Below are the ten Solar Decathlon Contests:
- Architecture — 200 points
- Engineering — 150 points
- Market Viability — 150 points
- Communications — 100 points
- Comfort Zone — 100 points
- Appliances — 100 points
- Hot Water — 100 points
- Lighting — 100 points
- Energy Balance — 100 points
- Getting Around — 100 points
The 2007 Solar Decathlon is the third competition, with past Decathlons occurring in 2005 and 2002. On October 14, 2006, the University of Colorado won the 2005 contest in the Solar Decathlon. Cornell University took second place and California Polytechnic State University placed third.
During each of the past Solar Decathlons, more than 100,000 visitors gathered at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to visit the “solar village.”
The U.S Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is the primary sponsor of the Solar Decathlon. For more information visit:
http://www.solardecathlon.org/
Filed under: Green Energy Forum
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Gore, Climate Panel Win Nobel
Former Vice President Al Gore and the U.N. climate panel shared the Nobel for work on global warming.
Friday, October 12, 2007
VIDEO: Al Gore and team win Nobel Peace Prize
OSLO (Reuters) – Former Vice President Al Gore and the U.N. climate panel shared the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for work on global warming, and the award committee urged action “before climate change moves beyond man’s control.”
Gore and the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) won “for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
They were chosen to share the $1.5 million prize from a field of 181 candidates.
“Action is necessary now, before climate change moves beyond man’s control,” the citation said of rising temperatures that could bring more droughts, floods, rising seas.
“He is probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted,” the committee said of Gore.
“The IPCC has created an ever-broader informed consensus about the connection between human activities and global warming,” it said.
IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri said he was overwhelmed.
“I can’t believe it, overwhelmed, stunned,” Pachauri told reporters and co-workers after receiving the news on the phone at his office in New Delhi.
“I feel privileged sharing it with someone as distinguished as him,” he added, referring to Gore.
The IPCC groups 2,500 researchers from more than 130 nations and issued reports this year blaming human activities for climate changes ranging from more heat waves to floods. It was set up in 1988 by the United Nations to help guide governments.
Since leaving office in 2001 Gore has lectured extensively on the threat of global warming and last year starred in his own Oscar-winning documentary film “An Inconvenient Truth” to warn of the dangers of climate change and urge action against it.
It was the second prize to a leading Democrat during the presidency of Republican George W. Bush.
The 2002 prize went to former President Jimmy Carter, which the chairman of the Nobel committee had called a “kick in the legs” to the U.S. administration over its preparations to invade Iraq.
But chairman Ole Danbolt Mjoes said the prize to Gore was not meant as criticism of Bush. The peace prize is not criticism of anyone,” Danbolt Mjoes said.
The Nobel prize is worth 10 million Swedish crowns ($1.54 million) and will be handed out in Oslo on December 10.
The solar decathlon is now under way. Take a look at this vidoe for some updates on the event.
http://www.news.com/1606-2-6213607.html
The results of the Solar Decathlon are in and the winner….(drum roll please)….Germany. No surprise since Germany is currently the solar capital of the world. In Germany, the government has mandated that utilities companies buy back excess energy created by clean renewable sources. The country has more solar per square mile than any other country on earth.
Currently the united States does not mandate that utilities buy back electricity. This is opposed to common belief. Most utility companies do have net metering (http://www.askame.com/?P=14), but will not buy back excess electricity – at least anywhere near todays prices.
Final Results:
The Solar Decathlon challenged 20 college and university teams to compete in 10 contests and design, build, and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered home. After two years of preparation and a week of competition, the final scores and standings are in.
Overall
First Place: Technische Universität Darmstadt
This team from Germany came to the Solar Decathlon hoping to have an impact on people, and it’s safe to say that this happened. Darmstadt won the Architecture, Lighting, and Engineering contests. The Architecture Jury said the house pushed the envelope on all levels and is the type of house they came to the Decathlon hoping to see. The Lighting Jury loved the way this house glows at night. The Engineering Jury gave this team an innovation score that was as high as you could go, and said nobody did the integration of the PV system any better. Darmstadt was one of seven teams to score a perfect 100 points in the Energy Balance contest. All week, long lines of people waited to get into this house.
Second Place: University of Maryland
At the beginning of the week, people wondered if the Maryland team would have a home-field advantage because they are so close to Washington, D.C. As the week progressed, and Maryland won the Communications contest and was second in Architecture, Market Viability, and Lighting, it became clear that Maryland didn’t need any advantage. The Communications Jury praised their excellent Web site and house tour. The Architecture Jury said the house definitely belonged in the top tier. The Lighting and Market Viability juries also had high praise. They were one of seven teams to score a perfect 100 points in the Energy Balance contest.
Third Place: Santa Clara University
This team wanted to build a sustainable solar house that is functional, elegant, and innovative—and they did just that. The Communications Jury lauded their friendly, enthusiastic house tour, which was informative, entertaining, and very much “on target” for public audiences. They were one of five teams to score a perfect 100 points in the Hot Water contest and one of seven teams to score a perfect 100 points in the Energy Balance contest. Their house almost didn’t make it to the Solar Decathlon, because their transport truck broke an axle and delayed them by three days.
For more information go to:
http://www.solardecathlon.org/