Solar Decathlon Europe is an international competition in which universities from all over the world meet to design, build and operate an energetically self-sufficient house, grid-connected, using solar energy as the only energy
source and equipped with all of the technologies that permit maximum energy efficiency. During the final phase of the competition each university team assembles their house at a shared site in Madrid, where houses are open to the general public, while undergoing the ten contests of the competition, reason for which this event is called
Decathlon. The competition is held in alternate years in Europe and the US; China will host its first Solar Decathlon competition in 2013.
The SDE Organization goal is to contribute to the knowledge and dissemination of industrialized, solar and sustainable housing, and therefore has the followings basic objectives:
o To raise awareness of the students participating in the competition on the benefits and opportunities offered by the use of renewable energies and sustainable construction, challenging them to think creatively and develop innovative solutions that contribute to energy savings and how it affects our everyday lives.
o To encourage the construction professionals to select materials and systems that reduces the environmental impact of a building over its entire lifetime, optimizing its economic viability and providing comfort and safety of occupants.
o To educate the general public about responsible energy use, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and the technologies available to help them reduce their energy
consumption.
o To emphasize the correct order of intervention: first reducing the building energy consumption and increasing its energy efficiency; and afterwards integrating solar
active systems and/or other renewable technologies. Moreover the building systems must be selected and dimensioned using environmental and cost-effective criteria.
o To encourage the use of solar technologies and other renewable energy sources.
o To promote architecturally attractive solar system integration, working on using the solar technologies to replace conventional construction materials in the building
envelope such as the roof, skylights or facades.
o To clearly demonstrate that high performance solar homes can be comfortable, attractive and affordable.
The +hytte house will also become a Test Cell and Living Lab for the Norwegian Research Centre on Zero Emission Buildings in Trondheim.
The opening of the +hytte ZEB Test Cell and Living Lab will be inaugurated during the Technoport RERC 2012 Conference in Trondheim 16-18 April 2012.
