Apr 21 2010
A Terp team comprising faculty, students and mentors from the University of Maryland has earned a coveted position in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 scheduled to be held at the National Mall in 2011.
The WaterShed House
The competition challenges faculty and students to build and design an attractive, energy-efficient and affordable house powered by solar energy. The team is building a house named WaterShed, which will run on solar energy, in addition to rain, wind and building wastes.
Some of the features of WaterShed include an edible green garden and wall; a rooftop photovoltaic arrangement; finish and building materials that are cost-effective, durable and sustainable; and smart, innovative technologies for controlling humidity, light, ventilation and temperature.
In collaboration with a faculty team, around 300 students from disciplines such as architecture, engineering, landscape architecture and plant sciences will work on the WaterShed assignment. The 2002 Solar Decathlon saw a Terp team demonstrate a house that highlighted the usage of solar power in residential design.
A house created by a team in 2005 won the BP Solar Innovation Award, a Safety Award Honorable Mention and the People's Choice Award. The 2007 Solar Decathlon witnessed Maryland's LEAFHouse capture the overall second place and win numerous awards such as the Peoples' Choice Award, the NAHB Marketing Curb Appeal First Place Award and the ASHRAE award meant for "Integration for Renewables for Sustainable Living".
The 20 teams chosen for the Solar Decathlon 2011 hail from Belgium, New Zealand, China and the U.S., and represent several universities and colleges.