The competitive portion of the Solar Decathlon has concluded, but the event is far from over. Students from Norwich University, which placed 12th overall in the international 19-team contest ‘ and secured a top spot in the affordability category ‘ have a lot of work ahead of them.
Just 30 minutes after the Decathlon gates opened to the public, a steady stream of visitors were already filing through the house. Mike Pritchard, a senior architecture student from Bristol, NH, answered questions about the SoloPower thin-film amorphous solar panels that form Norwich’s solar array. NU is the only team in the competition to feature these panels, which are thin, flexible and attach by adhesive, and visitors were fascinated.
People asked questions about efficiency compared to standard panels, which Pritchard explained was quite favorable. The expected lifespan was comparable as well, and the lightweight panels have other advantages.
‘These panels are made to collect indirect sunlight, whereas standard panels are made to collect direct light,’ he said.
This year’s Solar Decathlon, the sixth in the U.S., shed light on its farthest visitors, with Austria and the Czech Republic taking two of the top three spots. To see the results, check the Solar Decathlon webpage. Vermont’s other team, Middlebury College, finished in eighth place.
Pritchard said it was a bittersweet to have the competition come to an end, but there were still two days of exhibition, and the crowds will be big. Then, the house, the Delta T90, will have to be disassembled and readied for its journey to Ohio where it will become part of the Frank Lloyd Wright Wescott House.
‘It’s nice it’s over, and (we) can have a normal life again,’ said Pritchard, ‘but I will miss it, for sure.’
Norwich finishes 12th overall in Solar Decathlon competition
Submitted by tim
on