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overview
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contest
The
Solar Decathlon will consist of ten contests that
test a wide range of skills, ranging from lighting
to energy balance to design and livability to graphics
and communication. Our home will be tested in the
following areas:
-
Design
and Livability
Natural
materials and colors make you want to come home.
-
Design Presentation and Simulation
The
best available tools were used to envision our
home’s appearance, function and performance.
-
Graphics
and Communication
A
liberal use of graphic elements supports and
reinforces our written and spoken messages.
-
The
Comfort Zone
Radiant
baseboard heating and thermal mass tubes help
heat and moderate the temperature in the house,
taking some of the load off of HVAC system.
-
Refrigeration
The
refrigerator chosen for our home, like many
of the other appliances, is readily available
and reasonably priced -- putting it within
reach of the average consumer.
-
Hot
Water
The
highly efficient solar thermal hot water system
produces excess hot water that can be used
by our radiant baseboard heating system.
-
Energy
Balance
A command center monitors available energy and
use. This information will help schedule appliance
usage and other energy consuming tasks in the
house.
-
Lighting
The
use of natural day lighting and LED lights significantly
reduces the amount of electricity devoted to
lighting.
- Home
Business
The compact home office is beautiful, functional
and energy efficient.
-
Getting Around
The weather, more than any other factor, will
determine how the electric car will be used.
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