• Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • CONTRACTORS
  • ENGINEERS
  • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
  • INSIGHTS
  • MEDIA
  • RESOURCES
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook instagram twitter linkedin youtube
  • CONTRACTORS
  • BATH & KITCHEN PRO
  • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
  • HIGH EFFICIENCY HOMES
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • WATER TREATMENT
  • PMC COLUMNS
  • PMC COLUMNS
  • Dave Yates: Contractor’s Corner
  • John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop
  • Kenny Chapman: The Blue Collar Coach
  • Matt Michel: Service Plumbing Pros
  • Scott Secor: Heating Perceptions
  • ENGINEERS
  • CONTINUING EDUCATION
  • DECARBONIZATION | ELECTRIFICATION
  • FIRE PROTECTION
  • GEOTHERMAL | SOLAR THERMAL
  • PIPING | PLUMBING | PVF
  • PME COLUMNS
  • PME COLUMNS
  • Christoph Lohr: Strategic Plumbing Insights
  • David Dexter: Plumbing Talking Points
  • James Dipping: Engineer Viewpoints
  • John Seigenthaler: Renewable Heating Design
  • Lowell Manalo: Plumbing Essentials
  • Misty Guard: Guard on Compliance
  • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
  • RADIANT COMFORT REPORT
  • THE GLITCH & THE FIX
  • INSIGHTS
  • CODES
  • GREEN PLUMBING & MECHANICAL
  • PROJECT PROFILES
  • COLUMNS
  • SPONSOR INSIGHTS
  • COLUMNS
  • Codes Corner
  • Natalie Forster: Editorial Opinion
  • Guest Editorial
  • MEDIA
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WEBINARS
  • RESOURCES
  • INDUSTRY CALENDAR
  • DIRECTORIES
  • EBOOKS
  • PM BOOKSTORE
  • CE CENTER
  • MARKET RESEARCH
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EMAGAZINE
  • EMAGAZINE
  • ARCHIVE ISSUES
  • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE
  • PME EMAGAZINE ARCHIVES
search
cart
facebook instagram twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • CONTRACTORS
    • BATH & KITCHEN PRO
    • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
    • HIGH EFFICIENCY HOMES
    • TECHNOLOGY
    • WATER TREATMENT
    • PMC COLUMNS
      • Dave Yates: Contractor’s Corner
      • John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop
      • Kenny Chapman: The Blue Collar Coach
      • Matt Michel: Service Plumbing Pros
      • Scott Secor: Heating Perceptions
  • ENGINEERS
    • CONTINUING EDUCATION
    • DECARBONIZATION | ELECTRIFICATION
    • FIRE PROTECTION
    • GEOTHERMAL | SOLAR THERMAL
    • PIPING | PLUMBING | PVF
    • PME COLUMNS
      • Christoph Lohr: Strategic Plumbing Insights
      • David Dexter: Plumbing Talking Points
      • James Dipping: Engineer Viewpoints
      • John Seigenthaler: Renewable Heating Design
      • Lowell Manalo: Plumbing Essentials
      • Misty Guard: Guard on Compliance
  • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
    • RADIANT COMFORT REPORT
    • THE GLITCH & THE FIX
  • INSIGHTS
    • CODES
    • GREEN PLUMBING & MECHANICAL
    • PROJECT PROFILES
    • COLUMNS
      • Codes Corner
      • Natalie Forster: Editorial Opinion
      • Guest Editorial
    • SPONSOR INSIGHTS
  • MEDIA
    • PODCASTS
    • VIDEOS
    • WEBINARS
  • RESOURCES
    • INDUSTRY CALENDAR
    • DIRECTORIES
    • EBOOKS
    • PM BOOKSTORE
    • CE CENTER
    • MARKET RESEARCH
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EMAGAZINE
    • EMAGAZINE
    • ARCHIVE ISSUES
    • CONTACT
    • ADVERTISE
    • PME EMAGAZINE ARCHIVES
  • SIGN UP!
Plumbing & Mechanical Engineer Geothermal | Solar Thermal

Solar Decathlon celebrates green tech

By Erin Holohan Haskell
November 1, 2011
Ten projects feature solar thermal systems.

Team New York’s Solar Roofpod has solar thermal collectors that distribute the sun’s heat through a radiant floor system. (Photo credits: Erin Holohan Haskell.)


Two years ago, the U.S. Department of Energy issued a challenge to college students across the globe: design and build a home that is comfortable, affordable, attractive and produces as much or more energy than it consumes, and bring it to Washington for a week-long competition.

The result was the 2011 Solar Decathlon, the fifth such contest  held in North America. The first European Solar Decathlon took place June 2010 in Madrid; the next contest is scheduled for 2012.

From Sept. 23 to Oct. 2, 19 student teams turned Washington’s West Potomac Park into an international solar village. The decathlon bustled with visitors of all ages, eager to learn about sustainable solutions.

The homes reflected each team’s native environment and culture, while solving local and global energy challenges. Team Canada’s TRTL home was inspired by the tipi dwelling of Treaty 7 Native Peoples in Southern Alberta. Team New York built a Solar Roofpod to sit atop mid-rise buildings in urban environments, calling it “a penthouse with a purpose.” The University of Illinois’ Re-home is a housing solution for those left homeless after a natural disaster. And Team Belgium’s E-Cube is a home-building kit that  assembles in days with a manual similar to the one that comes with IKEA furniture.

 “It’s a rare opportunity to have your vocation be your avocation - all while doing good,” student representative Elizabeth Neigert states. “The Solar Decathlon is unique in that it offers this opportunity.”

Throughout the week, teams competed in 10 contests: architecture, market appeal, engineering, communications, affordability, comfort zone, hot water, appliances, home entertainment and energy balance. Some of the competition relied on hard data, while other areas were more unconventional. Students did laundry to test appliance efficiency and  also had neighboring teams over for dinner parties during the home entertainment portion of the competition.

University of Maryland’s Watershed house took first place overall. The team focused on solar energy with photovoltaic and solar thermal arrays, and water conservation with a green roof and surrounding wetland to recycle graywater. Second place went to Purdue’s INhome, which blended green technologies with traditional aesthetics. And New Zealand’s First Light, which featured an innovative drying cupboard that dries clothes quickly by pumping solar-heated hot water through a heat exchanger, finished third.

The University of Maryland’s WaterShed home earned first-place honors at the 2011 Solar Decathlon. The home includes an engineering system that harnesses excess energy generated by the solar thermal array.

Solar thermal solutions

Of the 19 homes in this year’s competition, 10 used solar thermal technology. The use of solar thermal technology varied among schools.

  • Event champion University of Maryland’s WaterShed includes an engineering system that harnesses excess energy generated by the solar thermal arrays.


  • Victoria University of Wellington’s First Light house, which placed third, features an innovative drying cupboard that quickly dries clothes by pumping solar-heated hot water through a heat exchanger. As an aside, the house’s name derives from New Zealand being the first place morning light shines at the start of a new day.


  • Appalachian State’s Solar Homestead includes an on-demand solar thermal domestic hot water system that uses phase-change materials to provide constant water temperature in compact storage.


  • Ohio State University’s enCORE house has a flat-plate solar thermal collector in combination with a heat pump water heater to further improve energy efficiency.


  • Team Florida, which comprises South Florida, Florida State, Central Florida and the University of Florida, has a zoned mini-split system that heats and cools in conjunction with a heat pump and solar thermal panels in its FleX House.


  • Team Massachusetts, which includes Massachussetts College of Art & Design and UMass-Lowell, has hybrid solar thermal panels in its 4D Home mounted behind photovoltaic modules for efficient heat transfer to the domestic hot water system.


  • Team New Jersey (Rutgers and NJIT) outfitted its ENJOY House with evacuated solar thermal tubes that heat domestic hot water and provide preheating for the hydronic radiant floor.


  • Team New York (City College of New York) has solar thermal collectors in its Solar Roofpod home that distribute the sun’s heat through a radiant floor system. Also, a thermal storage system uses paraffin as the phase-change material to reduce tank size by half.
  •     
  • The Tidewater, Va. (Old Dominion and Hampton) Unit 6 Unplugged house contains a hot water storage tank that replaces the auxiliary heating coil with an inline heater to minimize losses.


  • The Y container home from Team China (Tongji University) includes an integrated system using heat recovery from the solar thermal collector for the domestic hot water supply and floor heating system.


  • “One of the priorities at the Department of Energy is increasing our nation’s energy literacy,” Solar Decathlon Director Richard King notes. “Through the Solar Decathlon, we recruited the world’s brightest, most creative minds we could find and challenged them to educate us while they educate themselves.”

    The Team Massachusetts 4D Home uses hybrid solar thermal panels mounted behind photovoltaic modules for efficient heat transfer to the domestic hot water system.

    Creative and engineering potential

    While focusing on the overall objective of the event, students also found creative uses for local materials as well as modern technology to build their homes. Team New Zealand’s First Light uses recycled sheep’s wool as insulation, whereas The Southern California Institute of Architecture and California Institute of Technology’s CHIP opted for “outsulation” with a vinyl-coated fabric mesh on the exterior of their structure.

    Appalachian State University’s Solar Homestead used 42 bifacial photovoltaic panels on its great porch and provided visitors with reflective hats to boost solar gain. Team China’s Y Container was built from prefabricated shipping containers. Several homes managed operations with iPad applications.

    Walking through the solar village, one cannot help but get excited by the possibilities and enormous potential of these young leaders. Perhaps Arun Majumdar, director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency, said it best during his opening ceremony remarks: “It is critically important that this is an international event. Since you are leaders of the future, I hope you get to know each other because in the future, you leaders may be sitting across the table to figure out how to make this world a better place for your children and your grandchildren. And let the Solar Decathlon be the start of that personal friendship.”

    If this is what these students can do in two years, just imagine what they can do in a lifetime. The future looks bright, indeed.

    To learn more about the 2011 Solar Decathlon, visit www.solardecathlon.gov. The next contest is scheduled for 2013.

    Share This Story

    Looking for a reprint of this article?
    From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

    Erin Holohan Haskell is a writer, photographer, designer and green tech groupie. She runs Washington, D.C.-based Holohan Creative Services (www.holohancreative.com).

    Recommended Content

    JOIN TODAY
    to unlock your recommendations.

    Already have an account? Sign In

    • Worker using the Milwaukee Tool SWITCH PACK drain cleaner

      Pipeline profits: Drain cleaning, pipe inspection create opportunities

      Drain cleaning and inspection services offer lucrative...
      Plumbing News
      By: Nicole Krawcke
    • Uponor employee, Arturo Moreno

      The reinvestment in American manufacturing and training

      Plumbing & Mechanical Chief Editor Nicole Krawcke and...
      Plumbing News
      By: Nicole Krawcke and Natalie Forster
    • March 2024 Women in Plumbing hero image of woman engineer overlayed by circle of hexagon shapes with numbers from 1 to 10

      Celebrating 10 Influential Women in the Plumbing Industry

      Celebrating Women's History Month and Women in...
      Plumbing News
      By: Nicole Krawcke
    Manage My Account
    • eNewsletters
    • Online Registration
    • Subscription Customer Service
    • eMagazine
    • Manage My Preferences

    NIBCO Press Solutions

    NIBCO Press Solutions

    Bell & Gossett Illustrates Path to Net-zero at AHR Expo

    Bell & Gossett Illustrates Path to Net-zero at AHR Expo

    IPEX celebrates grand opening of new Florida distribution center

    IPEX celebrates grand opening of new Florida distribution center

    AI can boost efficiency and profitability for plumbing, HVAC contractors

    AI can boost efficiency and profitability for plumbing, HVAC contractors

    More Videos

    Sponsored Content

    Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Plumbing & Mechanical audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Plumbing & Mechanical or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

    close
    • J.J. Keller CMV vehicles on road
      Sponsored byJ. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.

      The dash cam game-changer for small business safety

    Popular Stories

    Plumbing equpment parts and wrench on the white background close up.

    Plumbing & Mechanical 2025 Plumbing Tools Survey

    Latin American plumber fixing a toilet in the bathroom.

    Troubleshooting common airflow plumbing issues

    Empty modern room with large windows looking out onto a green lawn and trees.

    Transitions: What do I do about cooling? (Part 1)

    PM BEMIS June 25 Free Webinar: Optimizing Plumbing Solutions for Single-Family, Multi-Family & Public Spaces

    Events

    November 13, 2024

    Future Proofing MEP: Navigating the 2026 High Efficiency Water Heating Standards

    Join our deep dive into DOE’s new standards so you can future-proof your MEP practice.

    EARN: 0.1 ASPE CEU; 1 AIA LU/HSW; 0.1 IACET CEU*; 1 PDH

    View All Submit An Event

    Poll

    Will business be up or down in 2025?

    Do you anticipate business in 2025 to be up or down in comparison to 2024?
    View Results Poll Archive

    Products

    The Water Came To A Stop

    The Water Came To A Stop

    See More Products

    Download the FREE Water Conservation, Quality & Safety eBook: Plumbing Trends Increasing Safe Water Availability

    Related Articles

    • Wood Stove Decathlon

      Innovation at the Wood Stove Decathlon

      See More
    • Solar Cooling Installed At Santa Clara University's Solar Decathlon House

      See More
    • Solar Radiant At The Solar Decathlon

      See More

    Related Products

    See More Products
    • greening steam.jpg

      Greening Steam: How to Bring 19th-Century Heating Systems into the 21st Century (and save lots of green!)

    • 51EpbH0yOwL__SL210_.jpg

      We Got Steam Heat!

    • lost art steam heating.jpg

      The Lost Art of Steam Heating Revisited

    See More Products
    ×

    Keep your content unclogged with our newsletters!

    Stay in the know on the latest plumbing & piping industry trends.

    JOIN TODAY!
    • RESOURCES
      • Advertise
      • Contact Us
      • Directories
      • Store
      • Want More
      • Supply House Times
    • SIGN UP TODAY
      • Create Account
      • eMagazine
      • eNewsletter
      • Customer Service
      • Manage Preferences
    • SERVICES
      • Marketing Services
      • Reprints
      • Market Research
      • List Rental
      • Survey/Respondent Access
    • STAY CONNECTED
      • LinkedIn
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • YouTube
      • X (Twitter)
    • PRIVACY
      • PRIVACY POLICY
      • TERMS & CONDITIONS
      • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
      • PRIVACY REQUEST
      • ACCESSIBILITY

    Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

    Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

    search
    cart
    facebook instagram twitter linkedin youtube
    • Sign In
    • Create Account
    • Sign Out
    • My Account
    • NEWS
    • PRODUCTS
    • CONTRACTORS
      • BATH & KITCHEN PRO
      • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
      • HIGH EFFICIENCY HOMES
      • TECHNOLOGY
      • WATER TREATMENT
      • PMC COLUMNS
        • Dave Yates: Contractor’s Corner
        • John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop
        • Kenny Chapman: The Blue Collar Coach
        • Matt Michel: Service Plumbing Pros
        • Scott Secor: Heating Perceptions
    • ENGINEERS
      • CONTINUING EDUCATION
      • DECARBONIZATION | ELECTRIFICATION
      • FIRE PROTECTION
      • GEOTHERMAL | SOLAR THERMAL
      • PIPING | PLUMBING | PVF
      • PME COLUMNS
        • Christoph Lohr: Strategic Plumbing Insights
        • David Dexter: Plumbing Talking Points
        • James Dipping: Engineer Viewpoints
        • John Seigenthaler: Renewable Heating Design
        • Lowell Manalo: Plumbing Essentials
        • Misty Guard: Guard on Compliance
    • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
      • RADIANT COMFORT REPORT
      • THE GLITCH & THE FIX
    • INSIGHTS
      • CODES
      • GREEN PLUMBING & MECHANICAL
      • PROJECT PROFILES
      • COLUMNS
        • Codes Corner
        • Natalie Forster: Editorial Opinion
        • Guest Editorial
      • SPONSOR INSIGHTS
    • MEDIA
      • PODCASTS
      • VIDEOS
      • WEBINARS
    • RESOURCES
      • INDUSTRY CALENDAR
      • DIRECTORIES
      • EBOOKS
      • PM BOOKSTORE
      • CE CENTER
      • MARKET RESEARCH
      • CLASSIFIEDS
    • EMAGAZINE
      • EMAGAZINE
      • ARCHIVE ISSUES
      • CONTACT
      • ADVERTISE
      • PME EMAGAZINE ARCHIVES
    • SIGN UP!