Solar Homestead is People's Choice
Appalachian State University's Solar Homestead won the People's Choice Award and came in 12th overall for the Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C.
Photo courtesy of the ASU Solar Homestead
The Solar Decathlon is finally complete, and Appalachian State
University's Solar Homestead finished the competition Saturday in 12th place and won the People's
Choice Award.
“Clearly, our outcome in the scoring isn't exactly what we wanted, but we're
proud of everything we've accomplished,” communications manager Dave Lee said Saturday afternoon. “I
just think we've done a really valuable thing.”
Visitors and supporters clearly saw the
value in the Solar Homestead, as it also won the most of the 92,538 votes cast for the People's
Choice Award.
"The team's passion and enthusiasm were contagious," said Terri Jones, Solar
Decathlon communications contest official. "The People's Choice Award is a popular vote, and I
believe the Solar Homestead house and team appealed to people on many levels."
During the
10-day competition, the team's greatest achievements included a tie for first place in the hot
water competition, second place in communications, a tie for third in home entertainment and a
third place finish in architecture.
At one point, the Solar Homestead climbed as high as
fifth place overall.
The Solar Decathlon is a prestigious international competition that
challenges 20 teams to design and build solar-powered homes that are cost-effective, efficient and
attractive. They are judged based on 10 contests, some of which are quantitatively measured and
others that are juried by experts in the field.
The University of Maryland won the 2011
competition, followed by Perdue University and New Zealand (Victoria University of
Wellington).
