The Solar Decathlon was previously held in 2002 and 2005, but the 2007 event was the first time the University of Illinois was involved. The competition has a “research goal of reducing the cost of solar-powered homes and advancing solar technology,” according to the Solar Decathlon 2007 (SD07)Web site.

The UI team was excited to be a part of this great tradition. Illinois designed its house to serve as a model for emergency housing situations, especially useful in situations such as those experienced by citizens of the Gulf Coast as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

The Solar Decathlon is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in partnership with its National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The Department of Energy provided $100,000 in seed money to each team in the competition. Visit the DOE's Solar Decathlon Web site for details of the competition.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
© 2007 University of Illinois

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