Building Begins

By Angeles Oviedo

Attendees at the 2013 Solar Decathlon ground breaking ceremony received practical information on energy-saving techniques as well as celebrated the construction of the Radiant House.

The Solar Decathlon team held a ground breaking ceremony last Thursday, showcasing the structure they have designed for this year's national competition.

"The day was about inviting our sponsors, parents, advisors, any supporters of the project to come out, catch up on our progress and celebrate with us," said Jake Gallau, senior and 2013 Solar Decathlon Project Manager..

According to Gallau, upwards of 100 people attended the ceremony, including Mayor of Santa Clara Jamie Matthews, Santa Clara President Michael Engh, S.J., and School of Engineering Dean Godfrey Mungal. The event was held at the team's construction site on the Sobrato Hall parking lot.

As part of the event, the Solar Decathlon team, which is entirely composed of undergraduate students, shared information on the innovative features they will be incorporating in the Radiant House, such as bamboo panels as well as a radiant heating and cooling system.

Gallau said that one of the big plans they have for the house is that its solar panels will be fully integrated into the roof as one system, reducing their materials and cost.

"In (2007), we focused on the engineering," said Gallau. "In (2009), we focused more so on the architecture. In each case, they were really expensive houses that performed really well in the confines of the competition. In 2013, we're really hoping to take the best of both worlds and build a house that's beautiful and expertly engineered, but is also affordable and practical."

The Radiant House will be 20 percent larger than the structure built for the 2009 competition and about two-thirds of the cost.

At the ceremony, sub-teams of the Solar Decathlon group also presented posters of their work.

Now that the ground breaking ceremony has passed, the team will work seven days a week and over the summer to complete the house in time for the competition in October.

"I'm extremely proud of the team we've put together," said Gallau. "It's 30 of the best students that I've met at this school. They're more than just students."

Thirty students are in charge of their own sub-teams that focus on areas ranging from electricity and plumbing, to sponsorship and public relations.

Beyond manpower, Gallau said that the team is still looking for sponsors to fund their project.

"We're still looking for support. Our budget is around $900,000 and we're $400,000 out from that," he said. Gallau encourages interested sponsors to contact the team via its website.

Once the Radiant House is complete, it will be one of 20 solar-powered houses at the 2013 Solar Decathlon, which will be held in Orange County this year. The event will begin on Oct. 3 and last until Oct. 13.

Contact Angeles Oviedo at aoviedo@scu.edu.