SOLAR DECATHLON: DU team finishes third

The University of Denver, which teamed up with the University of California, Berkeley, came third in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2017 for the group’s house designed specifically for the city of Richmond, Calif.

The Solar Decathlon is a challenge for college teams to build and operate highly energy-efficient and innovative solar houses. The main event includes 10 competitions involving architecture, market potential, engineering, smart water solutions and innovation. Eleven teams competed.

“The creativity and ingenuity of the students is very impressive. The amount of the thoughtfulness, the attention to detail, it’s really impressive,” said Daniel Simmons, the Department of Energy’s acting assistant secretary for renewable energy and energy efficiency. “Just the passion that they put into all of the homes, it’s really really impressive and heartwarming.”

The RISE house is designed to support Richmond as it transforms from suburban neighborhoods to a city that’s public transit and community oriented. The RISE house model has modular, stackable houses with flexible floor plans that include movable walls and a deck that is the same size of the house to support communal living.

The Swiss Team, which has students from four Swiss universities, won the overall competition.