UF solar decathlon team wins public choice award for Web

June 28, 2010

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida ranks number one with the fans again.

At Sunday’s closing ceremony of the Solar Decathlon Europe 2010 in Madrid, the UF team learned their house received the most online votes to win the Public Choice Award, Web. The UF team also placed second in the Energy Balance category.

Overall, the team placed eighth out of 17 universities from around the world competing to design, construct and promote 800-square-foot solar-powered, zero-energy homes. While the web choice award was not included in the scoring, the second-place finish in the Energy Balance contest and the previously announced first-place win in the Communications and Social Awareness contest both contributed to the team’s final score.

Both the Public Choice Award, Web, and the Energy Balance contests ran throughout the 10-day competition. The public choice award took place through the Solar Decathlon Europe website where visitors were asked to vote for their favorite team house. Scoring for the Energy Balance contest was based on energy monitoring of the team’s houses throughout the competition.

For the students and faculty involved in the project, the recognition only added to the knowledge, experience and friendships they’ve built along the way.

“While the competition is about producing energy to turn on a light switch, it’s the how and the who I’ll take with me. It’s about who we’ve met, and how we’ve overcome obstacles together. This is what will sustain a global society,” said Dereck Winning, student leader for the UF team and doctoral student in the College of Design, Construction and Planning.

The Solar Decathlon Europe brought together students and faculty from across the university with the expertise needed to address the diverse contests of the competition. The team was led by professor Robert Ries from the M.E. Rinker Sr. School of Building Construction at the College of Design, Construction and Planning and included DCP professors Mark McGlothlin and Bradley Walters from the School of Architecture, professors Jim Sullivan and Russell Walters from the Rinker School and professor Maruja Torres from the department of interior design as well as College of Journalism and Communications professor Deanna Pelfrey from the department of public relations.

The first global competition of its kind, Solar Decathlon Europe 2010 united 17 universities around the world with a common goal: to build a self-sufficient solar home with viability in today’s market. By competing in 10 categories ranging from solar energy systems to communications, students were challenged to push the limits of conventional design and address contemporary energy issues with inventive solutions.

UF was selected as one of only two American universities to compete in the events. A collaboration among the College of Design, Construction and Planning, College of Journalism and Communications, College of Engineering and Warrington College of Business, supported 125 students who worked across eight disciplines to submit Project RE:FOCUS, a solar-powered home modeled after the traditional Florida cracker house. For more information, visit http://www.floridasolardecathlon.org.