Talk about a room with view.
A team of 30 students from four Calgary post secondary institutions are hoping their solar-powered pad will turn some heads as the U.S. Department of Energy kicks off its annual Solar Decathlon on the National Mall in Washington D.C. starting Thursday.
The competition pits 20 energy conscious homes, constructed by green groups from around the planet, in a showdown to determine which best represents the ideal of a zero-power house that can operate independently off the grid.
University of Calgary business student Mark Blackwell, who chairs the Calgary entry, dubbed Sol Abode, which also includes participants from Mount Royal University, SAIT and the Alberta College of Art, said the concept is more than just a bright idea.
“We’re taking these houses and using them to showcase the sustainable technology that’s available,” Blackwell said.
“It’s been an interesting challenge that’s never been attempted in Calgary before, but I’m excited about what we’ve managed to come up with.”
The 800-square-foot house, which was transported to the U.S. capital in five semi-trailer trucks, includes appliances, heating and lighting that all run off the solar powered array and local materials including rundle stone from Canmore and old barn lumber from Bearspaw that were used in the design.
While most of the competitors have primarily built utilitarian solar powered “boxes” to show off their technological designs, Blackwell said the Calgary entry may have a leg up because it is an architecturally aesthetic home.
“If we’re not number one, we’re at least near the top for how it looks,” he said, adding one couple even inquired about purchasing the solar-powered unit after the competition.
The decathlon judges the entries in 10 categories ranging from architecture and market viability to how much power is returned to the grid after fuelling the home’s systems.
Blackwell said it still may be too early to envision Calgary as a hotbed of solar-powered houses with the cost of his team’s small unit estimated at around $550,000 to build.
But he notes there’s hope for the future: A next generation Sol Abode team of six is joining his group in Washington to get ready for next year’s entry.
Following the competition, the Sol Abode will on display at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
