February 8, 2010

The University of Maryland has been selected to continue in the second stage of the RFP process for the U.S. Department of Energy Competition, Solar Decathlon 2011. Along with a selection of other universities, UM is preparing a concept design submission for this next stage of the team selection process. The concept submission is due mid-March, with final notification of selected teams anticipated to be occurring mid-April. The 2011 competition, hosted on the National Mall, will take place in October of 2011. 

After UM's impressive 2nd-place finish in Solar Decathlon 2007 with the entry LEAFHouse, Solar Decathlon 2011 has generated interest from all over the campus community and drawn together a multidisciplinary team of enthusiastic students and faculty. In September 2009 alone, over 250 students from schools and departments across the campus signed up as potential team members.

While team members come from a wide range of fields and bring various levels of experience and expertise, all share the common goals of producing a sustainable design with sustainable construction. The team members show their concern for the environment, and have a passionately held conviction that we must change the way buildings are conceived, designed and built, and for fostering integrated practice necessary for future practitioners who will be charged with creating built environments and who must cross generational and academic - industry boundaries to do so. The UM team intends to use the Solar Decathlon as an opportunity to provide a hands-on learning experience to students and a tool for educating the public about environmentally sound, sustainable design and the role of advanced building strategies and renewable energy technologies in achieving a future powered by alternative energy strategies.

A core Faculty Leadership Advisory Team has been formed with faculty continuing to join. Coordinated courses have been formed in the Schools of Architecture, Planning and Preservation; the A. James Clark School of Engineering, and College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. These courses are in progress this semester, proceeding with the design of UM's next Solar Decathlon house. 

Interested students and faculty members are encouraged to get in touch with the SD2011 team! Please contact: Assoc. Professor Amy E. Gardner, turbine@umd.edu.

For more information about the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Competition see http://www.solardecathlon.org/.

The School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at the University of Maryland is home to four academic disciplines: architecture, urban planning, historic preservation and real estate development. Committed to educating its students and community about the importance of sustainability and smart growth, the School practices an interdisciplinary approach to education, research, creative work, and community and professional service. For more information, please e-mail us or call 301.405.8000.

School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation  |  Collaborative Education for a Sustainable Future