Solar Decathlon 2009: Building the Solar Village
October 06, 2009
The Solar Village is taking shape as 20 teams of students work intensely to complete their houses on their sixth day on the National Mall. The deadline they face—the start of the competition—is looming. On Thursday, the competition will begin and the teams will set off to rack up as many points as possible in the ten contests that comprise the Solar Decathlon.
The opening ceremony, set for 1 p.m., officially opens the event. The public can tour the homes starting on Friday at 11 a.m.
On Thursday, measurements for the Comfort Zone, Hot Water, Appliances, Home Entertainment, and Net Metering contests begin, and the teams will want to keep their homes closed as much as possible so that the measurements, especially for the Comfort Zone completion, aren't thrown off by opening and closing doors.
But the teams have a lot of work left to do. The homes are all partially assembled and much of the infrastructure is nearly complete, but the finished product is still another day away. Working around the clock, the teams will be pushing until the last second to make their homes perfect.
For more information on the competition and complete times for public tours, visit the Solar Decathlon Web site.
