Solar Decathlon Sparks Creative Thinking at UMD

Maryssa Timberlake and Erin Barkman answer questions.
The architecture students' sketch calls attention to recycling.
Hear from Timberlake on the importance of sustainability:

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- On a recent evening in a classroom at the University of Maryland, architecture and engineering students were brainstorming possibilities as they studied four large sketches of solar-powered homes.

It all seemed so futuristic. In one sketch, movable walls could shrink inward or expand out as needed. In another, corners of rooms could be opened to outside terraces. Another sketch called for the stacking of mechanical units for efficiency. A fourth gave attention to social gathering spaces and the recycling of rainwater and waste.

All four were early drafts by teams of architecture students for an international contest sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The University of Maryland was among 16 teams chosen to compete in the 2017 Solar Decathlon, which rewards innovative designs in homes that are affordable, dependable and energy efficient.

The competition is part of the federal government's strategy to create "a safer and more sustainable planet" while training students for jobs, according to Richard King, DOE's Solar Decathlon director. Students will gain experience in clean-energy design while competing with their teams for $2 million in prize money. 

It's All About Collaboration

Architecture faculty Garth Rockcastle and Michael Binder

Professor Garth Rockcastle of the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation explained that the eight students who drafted the four sketches on display are not competing against each other. Their designs, he said, will end up “informing each other.” They will change and grow throughout the spring following each brainstorming session,  eventually melding into one proposal.

Agreed School of Architecture faculty member Michael Binder, another leader of the solar decathlon team: “We are working to make sure we think of this as a group design. No one owns it.”

Rockcastle told the students that the faculty are “interested in your optimism and your pessimism” about the sketches. In other words, questions and thoughtful critiques were welcomed.

Among the questions to be answered are what mathematical models could be developed to show how much solar power could be generated and stored at different times of day and during different seasons. Being able to store energy from the sun generated at noon for use in late afternoon or evening is key, said Engineering Professor Raymond Adomaitis, another project co-leader.

Steven Johnson, 21, a mechanical engineering major, said the questions are a critical part of the process. “You need a practicality check” on the designs, he said.

Johnson said he wanted to help with Maryland's entry for the contest because as a hunter and fisherman, he’s long been interested in sustainability.

“If we don’t change the way we develop, there will be no green left,” Johnson said.

Engineering major Ana Novo, 25, another student attending the session, said afterward he was glad the contest was encouraging innovation.

“The big picture is to make this commercially viable to replace the cookie-cutter houses we have now,” he said.

A Year and a Half 'Til Judging

Engineering Professor Raymond Adomaitis

Adomaitis stressed the importance of sticking to a timetable. By spring 2017, the home will be under construction, using donated materials and under the supervision of a hired general contractor.

"It's a real house with real code restrictions," Adomaitis said -- so attention to safe construction is important.

In fall 2017, the solar home will be transported to Denver for judging. Students will make the trek to show off the home they built and to answer questions.

Other teams tapped for the competition hail from universities as far away as Switzerland and the Netherlands and as close to College Park as Morgantown, West Virginia.

Adomaitis said he was excited about the opportunity the decathlon gives students. “It adds something tangible to their education experience. It’s a good, practical application,” he said.

Professor Ross Salawitch

Other professors at the University of Maryland who are engaged in climate change research are also enthusiastic about the contest.

Professor Ross Salawitch of the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science said that by promoting less dependency on fossil fuels, the solar home designs will ultimately benefit society.

This is the eighth decathlon sponsored by DOE since 2002, and the fifth time a University of Maryland team has been selected to compete in the competition. Five years ago, in 2011, UMD's entry took first place.

For more on the competition, see www.solardecathlon.gov. 

--Text, photos and video by Chris Harvey

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