Posted on September 21st,
2009
by Berit Griffin
Ever heard of the Solar Decathlon? No, it’s not some sort of multi-sport athletic event! It is a competition between universities all over the world to build the most energy-efficient house possible. The competition is especially challenging because the winning house has to also be attractive and livable. Houses are judged on five subjective points (architecture, market viability, engineering, lighting design and communications) and five objective points (comfort zone, hot water, appliances, home entertainment and net metering).
Marvin is proud to provide windows for the University of Minnesota Solar Decathlon team. The windows are very large to let as much light as possible in. This is important since the house is only 800 square feet!
The team strived to get building materials from near-by manufacturers and to re-use materials as much as possible.
Since Minnesota is a cold northern state, the house has to collect as much solar heat as possible, even during harsh winters. However, the Solar Decathlon competition will be held in October in Washington, D.C., so the house also has to perform in warm, humid conditions. The team carefully designed the house with features to work in both.
After the competition is over, the University of Minnesota team plans to sell the house. If you are interested in a truly energy-efficient house with a beautiful look, this could be the home for you!
