Alberta Solar Decathlon Project
Encyclopedia
The Alberta Solar Decathlon Project was an entry into the 2009 US DOE Solar Decathlon Competition
in Washington, DC in October 2009. The team placed 6th out of the 20 teams present after an exciting week of not very great weather for solar power generation.
The Solar Decathlon is a high-profile, international competition in which twenty selected teams of university and college students from around the globe compete to design, build and operate the most attractive, practical and energy-efficient
solar-powered
home.
The event is primarily sponsored by the US Department of Energy
and includes 10 individual contests for the students and their homes. It takes place biannually in October on the National Mall
in Washington, D.C. The teams’ houses and the sponsors’ educational exhibits form a solar ‘village.’ The public, media, industry representatives and invited dignitaries tour the homes and exhibits and learn about solar energy, energy efficiency and home design.
Solar Decathlon
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon is an international competition that challenges 20 collegiate teams to design, build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar-powered house...
in Washington, DC in October 2009. The team placed 6th out of the 20 teams present after an exciting week of not very great weather for solar power generation.
The Solar Decathlon is a high-profile, international competition in which twenty selected teams of university and college students from around the globe compete to design, build and operate the most attractive, practical and energy-efficient
Efficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
solar-powered
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
home.
The event is primarily sponsored by the US Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
and includes 10 individual contests for the students and their homes. It takes place biannually in October on the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
in Washington, D.C. The teams’ houses and the sponsors’ educational exhibits form a solar ‘village.’ The public, media, industry representatives and invited dignitaries tour the homes and exhibits and learn about solar energy, energy efficiency and home design.
The team
The Alberta Solar Decathlon team is composed of Calgary’s four leading post-secondary schools: the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, Mount Royal College and the Alberta College of Art + Design.Student leaders
- Mark Blackwell: Project Chair; University of Calgary, BCOMM Energy Management Student
- Matt Beck: Project Manager; University of Calgary, Master in Environmental Design Student
- Turc Harmesynn: Construction Manager; SAIT, Graduate
- Whitney Nordstrom: Design Team Leader; Mount Royal College, Interior Design
- Mike Gestwick: Technology Team Leader; University of Calgary, Master in Environmental Design Student
- Chris Lashmar: Thermal Systems Lead; University of Calgary, Schulich School of Engineering
- Samanta Jovanovic: Sponsorship Manager; University of Calgary, Haskayne School of Business