The Solar Decathlon is a biennial, international competition put on by the United States Department of Energy (DOE). In this competition, schools are tasked with designing and building a solar house that responds to everyday tasks. The ten competitions require the house to perform in energy production and use, thermal and lighting comfort, architecture, engineering and market viability.

Of the 136 teams to submit proposals for the competition, the University of Arizona was one of twenty teams to be allowed entry. The house was entitled SEED[Pod], Solar Energy Efficient Dwelling, and derived its name from the concept of a seed. The seed lives in harmony with its environment. It is comprised of 1) the outer, protective shell, and 2) the inner core which houses everything needed to sustain the seed. As MEP Coordinator for the team, I collaborated with engineers from Buro Happoled on the tasks of designing, acquiring and constructing the engineering systems of the building. In the overall scoring, the team came in 18th place, 7th in architecture and 8th in engineering.

Skills Learned:
Acquisition of Building Supplies
Construction Methods & Techniques
Formal Building Presentation
Competition Experience
Design/Build Experience

Significant Data:
800 Square foot 1 bedroom house
Construction Start: May 15, 2009
Completion Date: August 25, 2009
Competition Dates: September 1 - 20, 2009
100% Solar Powered