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
Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic ef ...
home.
The event is primarily sponsored by the US
Department of Energy A Ministry of Energy or Department of Energy is a government department in some countries that typically oversees the production of fuel and electricity; in the United States, however, it manages nuclear weapons development and conducts energy-relat ...
and includes 10 individual contests for the students and their homes. It takes place biannually in October on the
National Mall
The National Mall is a landscaped park near the downtown area of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. It contains and borders a number of museums of the Smithsonian Institution, art galleries, cultural institutions, and va ...
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
See also
*''
Solar Hero
''Solar Hero'' is a 2012 Canadian documentary film directed by Matt Keay. The documentary follows Team Alberta (Alberta Solar Decathlon Project) as they journey to in the Solar Decathlon, 2009 US DOE Solar Decathlon Competition in Washington, DC ...
'', a documentary film about the project
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*{{cite news , date=September 2007 , title=Schools shine light on solar home plan, publisher=Metro News
Education in Alberta
Solar architecture
2009 in Alberta