Alberta Solar Decathlon Project

The Solar Decathlon is a high-profile, international competition in which 20 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 a decathlon of 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 the powerful combination of solar energy, energy efficiency and the best in home design.

The Alberta Solar Decathlon Team is comprised of the four leading post-secondary institution's in Calgary and now encompasses over 110 students and faculty from these institution's.

The House

Wood, water, stone, light: a solar home linked to Alberta’s connections to the land. The Alberta Solar Decathlon team’s dynamic design combines modular exterior and interior components with a clean, contemporary aesthetic reflecting the southern Alberta landscape.

The sleek, energy-efficient design incorporates traditional Western Canadian wooden post-and-beam structure, a south-facing deck and a rooftop patio accessible from inside the home. A central core, finished with a dark stone surface, houses all the functional amenities.

The exterior features reclaimed wood over a panelized steel system. The distinctive ‘banded’ pattern of the wood is echoed inside the home through an innovative solar hot water system integrated into a glazing unit.

The Team

The Alberta Solar Decathlon team is a unique and dynamic collaboration of students, faculty and staff from Calgary’s four leading post-secondary schools: the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, Mount Royal College and the Alberta College of Art + Design. We work closely with industry, government and other partners in the broader community.

Our team is the first-ever all western Canadian team to be selected to compete in the prestigious international Solar Decathlon competition, in 2009.

Through designing, building and operating our solar home, we will help create a community that shapes the future of design and sustainable living. We will leverage our success, knowledge and insights from the Solar Decathlon to become champions for advancing solar technologies and innovative housing solutions in Alberta and beyond.Student Leaders Mark BlackwellProject Chairman / Budgetary Committee ChairUniversity of Calgary, BCOMM Energy Management Student

Matt BeckProject ManagerUniversity of Calgary, Master in Environmental Design Student

Turc HarmesynnConstruction ManagerSAIT, Graduate

Whitney NordstromDesign Team LeaderMount Royal College, Interior Design

Mike GestwickTechnology Team LeaderUniversity of Calgary, Master in Environmental Design Student Chris LashmarThermal Systems LeadUniversity of Calgary, Schulich School of Engineering

Marc-Andre DelparteFinance/Accounting CoordinatorUniversity of Calgary, BCOMM Accounting Student

Crystal TownsendCommunications/Marketing CoordinatorSAIT, Student

Alexandra WarrenCommunications/Marketing CoordinatorMount Royal College, Communications

Partnering Schools

University of Calgary - is a research-intensive public university in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University is composed of 24,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students.

SAIT - As Canada’s premier polytechnic, SAIT is renowned for its training expertise spanning the trades through to applied degrees. Curriculum development is supported by partnerships with business and industry to ensure graduates have the skills and knowledge required in the workplace. SAIT Polytechnic is developing a forceful presence in the burgeoning field of applied research and technology commercialization.

Mount Royal College - registers approximately 13,000 full and part-time credit students and another 38,000 continuing education students each year. Mount Royal offers 43 degree, applied degree, university transfer, diploma and certificate programs including 30 majors and specializations. Mount Royal’s wide range of disciplines includes arts, business, communication, community and health studies, music, theatre arts, and science and technology.

ACAD - ACAD offers programs in the Fine Arts, Crafts, Graphic Design, and New Media. ACAD is committed to a solid studio-based experience for students - an experience balanced with relevant, complementary liberal studies and practical theory. The result is a rigorous studio program, which produces innovative thinkers, creative problem solvers, and visually talented students. ACAD creates a learning environment rich in character and extensive in quantity, quality and professional capability for its student body of artistic thinkers.

Media Links

2008

June 28Let it shine (Calgary Herald, posted on canada.com)http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/newhomes/story.html?id=1a5a5872-de2a-4aac-86ec-406b392c7db3&p=3

June 26Student-led team unveils new solar home design, more sponsors and new school partner (U of C news release)https://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/news/june2008/solar-decathlon

June 28Let it shine (Calgary Herald, posted on canada.com)http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/newhomes/story.html?id=1a5a5872-de2a-4aac-86ec-406b392c7db3&p=3

June 12Student-led solar home project captures Energy-TV award, solar panels donation (U of C news release)http://www.ucalgary.ca/news/june2008/energytv

June 11Energy-TV Awards winners honoured in style during the Global Petroleum Show (Energy-TV news release)http://www.energytvawards.com/media.htm

Student-led solar home project captures Energy-TV award, solar panels donation (oilworks.com – The Oil & Gas Magazine Online)http://oilworks.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1325&Itemid=56

June 9This time it’s personnel (Unlimited magazine article)http://www.unlimitedmagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=285&ed=11&cat=14

April 19Green living in the future (Calgary Herald, posted on canada.com)http://www.househunting.ca/components/print.aspx?id=54652a65-aaab-4067-84e6-9e6e5e2ebf20

MarchSAIT LIFEhttp://driveit.clickspace.com/linkTo/1211034/1000586/4281704

Feburary 8The Weekly Albertanhttp://weeklyalbertan.sait.ca/weeklyalbertan/080204_solar.shtml

Feburary 7The WEALhttp://www.theweal.com/?/comments/calgary_schools_earn_chance_to_build_green

January 24Calgary student team chosen for international solar home competition (U of C OnCampus)http://www.ucalgary.ca/news/january2008/solar-decathlon-team

Calgary student team makes international solar home competition (Innovation Anthology)http://www.innovationanthology.com/news.php?id=74

Two Canadian Teams Chosen to Compete in Solar Decathlon 2009 (Canadian Design Research Network news release)http://www.designresearch.ca/share/SD_CDRN_release.pdf (PDF 38.96KB). Download Adobe Reader.

2007

October 11Calgary schools to build a solar house (U of C Gauntlet)http://gauntlet.ucalgary.ca/story/11718

Students to build solar-powered home (U Magazine, fall issue)http://www.ucalgary.ca/news/uofcpublications/umagazine/fall2007/news

September 28Solar Decathlon bid launched (U of C OnCampus)http://www.ucalgary.ca/news/uofcpublications/oncampus/biweekly/sept28-07/decathlon

OTHER MEDIA and WEB COVERAGE

Alberta Solar Decathlon – a blog by Cariosa Donaleshenhttp://www.mtroyal.ab.ca/arts/interiordesign/decathlon/index.shtml

Juiced on solar power (Calgary Inc. magazine, April 2008)

Schools shine light on solar home plan (Metro News, September 2007)

Calgary’s post-secondaries team up to build solar home (AM770 CHQR, September 2007)