Calgary students build on Washington’s National Mall
September 23, 2011
By
Canadian Consulting Engineer
Students from the University of Calgary spent last week on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. reconstructing a solar home they have developed. The fully functional 1,000 sq. foot residence is Canada's only entry in the 2011 Solar Decathlon,...
Students from the University of Calgary spent last week on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. reconstructing a solar home they have developed. The fully functional 1,000 sq. foot residence is Canada’s only entry in the 2011 Solar Decathlon, a competition for student teams around the world to construct solar powered homes.
The University of Calgary’s entry is the Cenovus TRTL “turtle,” which stands for “Technological Residence, Traditional Living.” The design addresses problems in Aboriginal housing in Canada, and was designed in collaboration with he Treaty 7 First Nations of Southern Alberta.
To reconstruct the home, over 20 people were on site, including students, and representatives from sponsors Graham Construction and Skyline Roofing.
Thousands of people are expected to visit the solar homes in the competition, which are on display at the National Mall’s West Potomac Park, Washington D.C. between September 21 to October 1. The competition is hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy and National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency.
The first Solar Decathlon was held in 2002.
