The name might imply that the competition is all about solar energy, but the Solar Decathlon is just as much a showcase of great construction and design ideas. Every other year, teams of students from universities around the world vie to be one of 10 teams picked to create full-sized, solar-powered homes. The winner is the team that best blends design excellence and smart energy production with innovation, market potential, and energy and water efficiency. Here’s what four of the contestants are bringing to Denver for the 2017 competition.
Past and Future
The University of Nevada at Las Vegas designed its “Sinatra Living” home for the area’s aging residents. Features include an open layout, adjustable countertops and shelves, slip-resistant flooring, and fall detection sensors.
A Silo for People
Missouri S&T’s Smart Innovative Living Oasis—SILO—was built for empty-nesters. It starts with traditional farmhouse architecture and then inserts state-of-the-art technologies to create a net-zero–energy home.
Water Miser
The University of California at Davis is responding to the state’s recent drought with systems that cut water use while simultaneously providing technology to teach homeowners how to do even better.
Mod Squad
Intended for Native Americans, the University of Maryland’s home consists of a modular “kit of parts” that harnesses the sun and turns used water and waste into useful resources.
