Solar Decathlon

Went down to the mall yesterday to see the Solar Decathlon. It was pretty mobbed, so we only got to see five of the 20 houses. I think the most surprising one was Illinois’. Seeing it from the outside, we immediately dubbed it the Turkey Shed; but we think it may actually be the most liveable of all the ones we saw. Cornell is the most interesting from the outside, but probably the most claustrophobic. Louisiana’s was interesting for its emphasis on hurricane resistance: The privacy fence around the deck is designed to be disassembled and used to cover the windows. Minnesota was nice, but kinda generic. Alberta had one of the more interesting designs, and seems pretty liveable. They also get points with us for having a roof deck.

There seems to be more focus this year on local and reusable materials. They’re usually more about cutting-edge insulation and such, so it’s an interesting shift. Cornell put a lot of emphasis on locally-sourced wood, and their exterior walls are essentially recycled grain silos. Both Illinois and Alberta used wood from old barns that belonged to students’ families, which gives them a real personal touch.

We’re going to sneak back this morning while everyone’s at church, and try to see the German entry. They won last time around, so they were completely mobbed. I’m also scheming to drag my co-workers out for a long lunch there sometime this week.