Space Industry and Business News  
Santa Clara University Chosen To Compete In Solar Decathlon 2009

The Decathlon gets its name from the 10 specific areas of competition; in 2007 these were: architecture, engineering, market viability, communications, comfort, appliances, hot water, lighting, energy balance, and getting around, (transportation). Each home must produce enough electricity and hot water to perform all the functions of a home, from powering lights and electronics to cooking, washing clothes and dishes.
by Staff Writers
Santa Clara CA (SPX) Jan 31, 2008
Santa Clara University once again will have the chance to show the world that solar innovation and technology in the hands of students can make a difference. Santa Clara has been selected as one of 20 university-led teams to participate in the Department of Energy's highly competitive Solar Decathlon, held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in the fall of 2009.

The announcement comes on the heels of SCU's triumphant finish in the 2007 competition, taking third place overall, outdistancing Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cornell, and two-time decathlon winner University of Colorado, Boulder.

"We are thrilled to have been selected once again to participate in this competition. It is the mission of Santa Clara's School of Engineering to serve our students, our community, and our world. How better to do so than through this exciting competition that engages our students, faculty, staff, and industry partners in developing and promoting sustainable solutions to our global energy challenges," said Godfrey Mungal, dean of the School of Engineering.

Cornell University (Ithaca, N.Y.), Rice University (Houston, Texas), and University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (Urbana, Ill.) are some of the other universities participating in the 2009 Solar Decathlon. Teams are selected from universities in the United States, Canada, and Germany; each team will receive $100,000 from the DOE as seed money to begin to design, build, and operate a unique, energy efficient, fully solar-powered home for this competition. Each entry will use sustainable technology and demonstrate that homes powered entirely by the sun do not have to sacrifice all the modern comforts and aesthetics Americans are accustomed to.

The Decathlon gets its name from the 10 specific areas of competition; in 2007 these were: architecture, engineering, market viability, communications, comfort, appliances, hot water, lighting, energy balance, and getting around, (transportation). Each home must produce enough electricity and hot water to perform all the functions of a home, from powering lights and electronics to cooking, washing clothes and dishes. The team that finishes the week of competition with the most points wins.

In the 2007 competition, SCU earned first-place points in the hot water and energy balance categories, and took second place in communications, appliances, and getting around. In all categories except architecture, the team finished in the top 10. In hopes of capturing the top prize in 2009, Santa Clara is partnering with California College of the Arts' architecture program to create a design plan.

"The 2007 team has set a very high standard, and it will be our goal to do even better. The team will build on the lessons learned from 2007, and will also seek to add significant new innovations to the structure and systems of the house," said Timothy Hight, chair of Santa Clara's mechanical engineering department.

Applications for the 2009 competition were evaluated by a panel of engineers, scientists, and other experts from the DOE and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Teams were required to meet specific criteria, demonstrating their ability to design and build an innovative 800-square-foot solar home from scratch, including the ability to raise additional funds and assemble a team that will carry the project through to completion.

Related Links
Solar Decathlon 2009
All About Solar Energy at SolarDaily.com



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


XsunX Comments On Solar Comparative Analysis Report
Aliso Viejo CA (SPX) Jan 31, 2008
XsunX announced the release of a report providing a detailed, unbiased analysis of the Company's competitive position relative to incumbent PV-technologies and immediate competing products. The report, funded by XsunX in response to market interest, was investigated and prepared by IBIS Associates, a management-consulting firm that specializes in assisting clients with business development decisions concerning materials based manufacturing technologies.







  • Lenovo pitching PCs to wider French market
  • Internet changing consumer electronics world: Intel chief
  • Panasonic says to launch YouTube televisions
  • Taiwan handheld device shipments to surge: consultancy

  • ILS To Launch Yahsat Satellite On Proton
  • TEXUS Research Rockets To Launch On 31 January And 7 February 2008
  • Russian space center to launch boosters
  • Antrix Launches Israeli Satellite Using Commercial PSLV Rocket

  • China to build 97 new airports by 2020
  • Qatar Airways looking to natural gas fuel
  • EADS offers to build military, civilian aircraft in US
  • Purdue Wind Tunnel Key For Hypersonic Vehicles And Future Space Planes

  • Boeing Completes On-Orbit Handover Of Wideband Global SATCOM Satellite To USAF
  • Elbit Systems To Supply Royal Netherlands Army Advanced BMS
  • SELEX Sistemi Integrati Contracts With EU For Command, Control And Information System
  • Schriever Tests Antenna And Prepares For AFSCN Connection

  • U.S. launched 1st satellite 50 years ago
  • Study: Lithium, beryllium may be bondable
  • Space debris: Despite Chinese test, some improvement
  • SBIRS Payload Operationally Accepted

  • Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems Names Carey VP For ISR Systems
  • NASA Selects Jaiwon Shin To Head Aeronautics Research
  • NGC Names James Culmo VP Of Airborne Early Warning And Battle Management Programs
  • Northrop Grumman Names Jeffrey Palombo To Head New Land Forces Division

  • Russia To Launch Space Project To Monitor The Arctic In 2010
  • New Radar Satellite Technique Sheds Light On Ocean Current Dynamics
  • SPACEHAB Subsidiary Wins NASA Orbiting Carbon Observatory Contract
  • Radical New Lab Fights Disease Using Satellites

  • Personal Navigation Devices Will Be Complemented, Not Replaced, By Handset-Based Navigation Solutions
  • IVOX Introduces First Predictive Driver Risk Management System For Fleets
  • Wavetrend Introduces GlobalEyes, A Revolutionary Fully Integrated Global Tracking Solution
  • Alanco/TSI PRISM Announces Multi-Year Teaming Agreement With NEC To Develop Australia And NZ Prison Markets

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement