Team Announces Big Plan for Competition

By Natalia Pavlina

"I'm skipping on studying for a midterm for this," said junior Andy Truong, a civil engineering major and prominent leader on the 2013 Solar Decathlon team. "That's how passionate I am about this project."

The Alumni Speaker Series featured the Solar Decathlon team this past Tuesday, where past members were introduced by Jake Gallau, senior and project manager.

The team also announced that they have finalized the design plans for their new project, "Radiant House."

The house is designed entirely out of sustainable materials such as bamboo, and with the team's design philosophy always in mind: "Efficiency, Economy and Elegance."

This year's project, Radiant House, will be constructed in Orange County during the spring. For the first time ever, Santa Clara will have two in-state rivalries: California Institute of Technology and Stanford University.

The preparation and design process for this house have been an enormous time commitment for all Solar Decathlon members.

"This is a full-time job," explained Anand. "Between classes, Solar Decathlon and other extracurriculars on the side, something has to give somewhere, and that is often sleep."

But team leaders like Gallau insist that through dedication, passion and teamwork, anything can be accomplished. The official groundbreaking is scheduled to take place on April 25 in Orange County.

In 2007, the Solar Decathlon team was no bigger than 30 members. This year, they have grown to about 100 active members and around 12 project leaders.

The 2007 Ripple House is remembered as a "Cinderella Story," after an axle snapped off the house as it was being transported out of Santa Clara, and then again in the middle of Kansas, delaying the team's arrival by three days.

The house itself was not aesthetically impressive, taking 18th place out of 20 in architecture. Despite this, the Ripple House took third place overall due to high scoring in other categories, such as Hot Water and Energy Balance.

The 2009 competition was a much smoother ride; the beautiful Refract House came in third again, but this time scored much higher in architecture.

"You can't walk by that house without noticing it," said Truong.

Both past and current Solar Decathlon team members are optimistic about the outcome of this year's competition. Anand left the present students with the advice that "as long as you have your own plan, Santa Clara will help you get there."

Contact Natalia Pavlina at npavlina@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.