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The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon challenges collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. The purpose of the Solar Decathlon is to educate the public public about the benefits, affordability, and availability of clean energy solutions by generating widespread media coverage and harnessing digital tools to reach millions of people.
The Solar Decathlon has expanded tremendously since its beginning in 2002, establishing domestic and international competitions. Therefore, it is exciting to announce that Northwestern has been selected as one of 16 schools worldwide selected to compete in the 2017 Solar Decathlon held in Denver, Colorado. The deliverable at the end of the competition period (Fall 2017) is an fully-functional house.
What makes our house special?
Comprised of students from diverse disciplines including engineering, design, sciences, and the arts, the HBN team is designing and building a house that will blend technology, market potential, and design excellence with smart energy production and maximum efficiency. The result will be a sustainable home that is well-adapted for the harsh Chicago climate and minimizes its impact on the surrounding environment.
What is our game plan?
The main goal of HBN is not only to deliver an actual, functioning house by Fall 2017, but also to encourage students to understand and experience the value of cross-functional team-building while developing solutions for an energy-efficient house of the future.
HBN teams are focused on 9 different areas of the House: design/architecture, systems, envelope, interiors, energy management, water, smart home management, logistics, and communication.
This project is especially meaningful for the Northwestern community as a whole. Because the clean technology industry is positioned to grow significantly in the next few decades, the HBN project is a structured opportunity for students to work in small teams focused on developing clean tech solutions. Educating students and the public about the money-saving, environmental, and comfort of energy-efficient benefits are crucial for transitioning to the future of clean energy products and design solutions. Finally, Northwestern, as an institution that stewards innovation, will provide unique training to McCormick engineering students and help position them for the emerging clean technology industry.
We seek any generous support from the greater Northwestern community. For one, we hope for donations to our Catalyzer - these will help power our team’s ideas to a real high-performing, solar-powered house. Additionally, we encourage spreading word of HBN to anybody with interests in architecture, construction, engineering, and sustainability. Your support will help spread word of this exciting opportunity for Northwestern to be represented at a unique international competition.
For additional information, please check our HBN website as well as our Facebook page
Consider donating your senior class gift to our House!
Installs fixtures that will conserve water usage, both inside and outside -- these include everything from internal water pipe management to the rainwater capture
Help us grow plants indoors and out to create a seamless transition between the interior landscape and natural outdoors
Supports the installation of a state-of-the-art air quality system to ensure the health of the House’s future occupants
Goes towards the purchase and installation of an electric vehicle (EV) charging station so House occupants can commute using clean energy
Offsets some of the costs to transport our House from campus to the competition site in Denver, Colorado
The House will be powered by the sun! Help us purchase the solar arrays that will capture and convert this energy for use in our House
