SCU wins Third Place in Solar Decathalon!

For those of you that might not have heard of it, the Solar Decathalon is a competition for college students to design, build, and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered home. It is so competitive and such hard work that it's only offered every two years.

In the last Solar Decathlon in 2005, I was one of the advisors to the Architecture Department at Cal Poly. The students placed an impressive third.


This year, I was one of the advisors to Santa Clara University. Countless hours, debates, discussions and meetings later, and I am proud to announce the results. After two years of preparation and a week of competition, the final scores and standings are in for the 2007 competition.


Third Place: Santa Clara University
This team wanted to build a sustainable solar house that is functional, elegant, and innovative—and they did just that. The Communications Jury lauded their friendly, enthusiastic house tour, which was informative, entertaining, and very much "on target" for public audiences. They were one of five teams to score a perfect 100 points in the Hot Water contest and one of seven teams to score a perfect 100 points in the Energy Balance contest. Their house almost didn't make it to the Solar Decathlon, because their transport truck broke an axle and delayed them by three days.

Congratulations to the students! They were a fun group and they deserve it!

The next one will be in 2009.

A NOTE TO OTHER ARCHITECTURE PROGRAMS: If you're looking to enter the 2009 competition, contact me and invite me to be an advisor. I seem to have a track record of helping you place at least third! ;)

MORE INFO ON: Santa Clara University's Entry
MORE INFO ON: 2007 Solar Decathalon
MORE INFO ON: SCU Solar Decathalon Site