Pay no attention to the mess of wires and cables in the photo above (instead, please direct any frustration at the ugliness to my severely limited choice from the Creative Commons). When it’s finished, Virgina Tech’s Lumenhaus hopes to be the sleekest looking energy-efficient house out of a group of twenty entered into the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon. The goal of the competition is to create a working, livable house that takes advantage of the sun, wind, and water sources to conserve power.
The official website contains the scores and standings of the teams. The current leader of the pack, Team California, houses some impressive technology that features a pond, thermal absorption, solar hot water, a universal monitor system, and an iPhone app for that universal monitor system (Really, Apple wasn’t kidding.) The scoring system is logically broken down by categories such as the house’s architecture, comfort zones, hot water, and severe lack of market viability.
The contest lasts through October 15, with winners being announced the next day (if you’re one of those avid BU Quad readers in the D.C. area, public viewing lasts until the the 18th). See the website here for a detailed photo and video library full of far more fascinating pictures than my lone option, ones that really showcase the innovation of some of these designs.
Via Gizmag
