This is bigger than all of us

The Lawrence Tech students and recent graduates participating in the Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C., this week are experiencing the deep satisfaction of being part of something larger than themselves.

They have spent countless hours and many sleepless nights to get to this point in the contest sponsored by the Department of Energy. Now that they realize that they won’t be among the leaders in the contest, the members of Team ALOeTERRA can concentrate a little more on the bigger goal they have contributed to.

The United States and other countries stand at a crossroads – global warming and rising oil prices require a major shift in how we think about energy consumption in our daily lives. These students have the opportunity to help lead the way to that new way of thinking.

According to the organizers, for the first time both home buyers and builders are coming to the solar Decathlon to see what they can do now or in the near future to reduce energy consumption.the contest sponsored by the Department of Energy.

Let the sun shine on

Weather conditions continue to be perfect in Washington, D.C., for demonstrating how powerful solar energy can be and for viewing the unusual designs at the Solar village.

The Lawrence Tech team has racked up plenty of extra juice to power its GEM car, which traveled more than 30 miles yesterday.

Today the houses are closed to the public as the Solar Decathlon enters the second of three days of around-the-clock contests on various outputs from the house’s systems.

The crowds are smaller on the weekdays, but there are plenty of school trips – giving ALOeTERRA team members the opportunity to introduce solar energy to the next generation of homebuyers.

An endless line of visitors

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday there was a never-ending stream of people visiting Lawrence Tech’s entry in the Solar Decathlon. They say more than 100,000 people will visit the 20-team competition during nine days, and it certainly felt that way during the first two days.

Many visitors raved about the house and said the layout made it feel bigger and more livable than many of the competitors. That’s a real compliment because there all the other houses have cool designs and features.

The competition will be tough, but the ALOeTERRA team members seem justified in thinking that they have a shot at an architecture award. Those are the first awards to be announced on Monday.

Let the games begin

The opening ceremony for the Solar Decathlon was pretty impressive. There must have been 20 film crews there, including some from foreign countries like Japan, France and Spain. Energy Secretary Bodman stressed how solar energy will be a key part of the solution for America's energy needs in the future. There were speeches by the main event sponsors, including AIA and ASHRAE.

After the team got a photo op with Secretary Bodman, we watched the ribbon-cutting ceremonies take place right in front of our house. You could keep track of the action by following the sound booms. The team from Puerto Rico (flag at right) was the life of the party.

President Emeritus Charles Chambers dropped by with some cookies for the team and a couple of copies of the Washington Post, which had a big photo of the Lawrence Tech house on the front of the Metro section.

After giving tours for four hours, the team got back to work on last-minute projects that needed to be done. Professor Plowright took a few minutes away from the power tools to be professorial.

A few things needed to be done at the end of Friday, but there won't be any more all-nighters because the houses are impounded from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Everything should be ready by the time the tours begin again at 10 a.m.

Solar Decathlon Team Makes final Preparations

There’s a buzz on the National Mall that the Lawrence Tech team is definitely in the running in the architecture design event of the Solar Decathlon. Sponsors and members of other teams who toured the house on Thursday loved the large (1,100 square feet) deck that also provides universal access. The inner courtyard that can be closed off with a rolling door is another favorite.

Win or lose, just to be here at the vanguard of sustainable design is a thrill for the members of Team ALOeTERRA. The ideal of a self-sufficient house comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes when interpreted by 20 teams of college students. To see 20 visions of tomorrow all in one place is exhilarating.

Thursday was the final day of construction before the official start of the competition on Friday morning. After two years of planning and four months of construction, it all came down to “one more all-nighter” for many of the team members to finish up the last-minute details.

Lawrence Tech team off to fast start in Washington, D.C.

Team ALOeTERRA arrived in Washington, D.C., Tuesday and worked through the night to unload materials in preparation for reconstructing the house Lawrence Tech has entered in the Solar Decathlon.

Half the crew went to bed around 5 a.m. to get a few hours sleep, while the other half kept going to put up the decking for the house. That task was completed in four hours – half the time scheduled.

Everyone is awestruck by the scene on the National Mall – a veritable forest of cranes to put up the houses of 20 contestants, with the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument in the background.

“The enthusiasm is high, the energy is high and the morale is incredible,” faculty advisor Philip Plowright reported. “Everyone is walking around with huge grins.”

Solar Decathlon - Team ALOeTERRA is Ready for D.C.

After almost two years of running a marathon to build a house for the Solar Decathlon, the students and recent graduates on Team ALOeTERRA at Lawrence Tech in Southfield, Mich., spent the final month sprinting through an obstacle course to complete all the final preparations in time.

Team ALOeTERRA has designed an 800-square-foot solar-powered, energy-positive house that uses the sun to generate all the power needed for heating, cooling, lighting and appliances – with some left over to operate a small electric vehicle.

Designing and building a house that incorporates many energy-efficient features was complicated enough, but the house also has to be disassembled and transported to Washington, D.C., and then reassembled on the National Mall, where the Solar Decathlon competition will be held Oct. 12-20.

Delays along the way put Team ALOeTERRA behind schedule as it headed into the home stretch in September. Some team members have had to put in seven-day weeks and get by on only a few hours of sleep as they rushed to complete construction of the house.
The Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights and other volunteers have provided invaluable assistance.

Four times the team members had to put down their tools to give tours of the house. The final open house on Sept. 21 attracted more than 300 people of all ages interested in what can be done to reduce both energy costs and the negative impact of residential housing on the global environment.

Now the students and volunteers have switched gears again to take the house apart, this time with the help of a crane and volunteers from the Operating Engineers Local 324 Education Center in Howell, Mich.

The house will be moved in sections to Washington by Laramie Crane & Trucking of Detroit. Mobility Resource Associates (MRA) of St. Clair Shores, Mich., donated a truck for transporting additional equipment such as the PV panels.

Then the team will have to put all the pieces back together again and get everything in place in time for the start of the official competition.

It has been more work than any of the team members imagined at the beginning that seems so long ago, but the sweat, tears and even a little blood will all be worth it when they take their place in the Solar Village on the National Mall.