The Solar Decathlon is a biennial program developed by the U.S. Department of Energy that challenges collegiate teams from around the world to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive. The HVAC system each team selects has a huge impact on their home’s performance, so it’s not surprising that a quarter of the teams incorporated Mitsubishi Electric ductless. The selected systems offered steady temperatures, dehumidification and minute temperature adjustments – all with a sleek, modern look. The teams using Mitsubishi Electric products took home a total of nine top honors, including Most Affordable, People’s Choice and the top prize as overall competition winner. Download the PDF below to read more. You’ll hear from five schools’ team members and see photos of the homes and equipment.
Project Name: Solar Decathlon
Project Location: Washington, D.C.
Team Name: University of Maryland, College Park, Md.
Completion Date: October 2011
House Name: WaterShed
Project Name: Solar Decathlon
Project Location: Washington, D.C.
Completion Date: October 2011
Team Name: Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C.
House Name: The Solar Homestead
Project Name: Solar Decathlon
Project Location: Washington, D.C.
Completion Date: October 2011
Team Name: Parsons New School & Stevens Institute: Parsons New School of Design, New York; Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, N.J.
House Name: Empowerhouse
Project Name: Solar Decathlon
Project Location: Washington, D.C.
Completion Date: October 2011
Team Name: SCI-Arc/Caltech: Southern California Institute of Architecture, Los Angeles; California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif.
House Name: CHIP
Project Name: Solar Decathlon
Project Location: Washington, D.C.
Completion Date: October 2011
Team Name: Tidewater Virginia: Old DominionUniversity, Norfolk, Va; Hampton University, Hampton, Va.
House Name: Unit 6 Unplugged
