German Solar Cube House Wins DC Decathlon

October 16, 2009

On the final, rainy, day of judging at the fourth Solar Decathlon in Washington, DC, I found myself busting a move with the German team in their solar house. Maybe that was what pushed them over the top.

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that Team Germany from Technische Universität Darmstadt had won the competition, coming away with glory and bragging rights. For the uninitiated, the Solar Decathlon is a DOE-sponsored event where college teams from around the world design and build family homes on the National Mall that run solely on solar power.

When the judges aren't evaluating the homes in 10 different weighted categories, the public can traipse through for inspiration. Despite the cold and steady rain yesterday, the German house was packed with visitors drawn to its futuristic cube shape. The team had cleverly used photovoltaics on all sides for maximum power. Team member Patrick Tauchert told me that one of their strategies was to take features that worked and push them as far as they could go. Even on a gloomy day they still had an impressive surplus, but maintaining a comfortable temperature was key so the whole team danced in unison to generate more heat. I'm pretty sure they're still dancing, but this time in celebration. 

Photo: Visitors flock to the decathlon, and to the German house (far right). Credit: Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.