Clean Technology Kiwi Bach On World Stage
victoria-university-of-wellington
Tue Apr 20 2010 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Clean Technology Kiwi Bach On World Stage
Tuesday, 20 April 2010, 1:24 pm
Press Release: Victoria University of Wellington
Putting A Clean Technology Kiwi Bach On The World Stage
A Kiwi bach powered by the sun is to be built for a major international competition and exhibited a stone’s throw from the White House in the US capital.
A New Zealand team led by Victoria University has been selected among only 20 teams worldwide to build a solar powered house for the prestigious U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011.
The student-based entry is the first in the Southern Hemisphere ever to be selected.
The New Zealand team will design, build and operate a reinvented Kiwi bach which will be powered entirely by solar energy, to create a sustainable home.
The house will be exhibited beside other contestants on the National Mall in Washington D.C. Over ten days in October next year, around 150,000 people will visit this temporary solar village.
Victoria University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Pat Walsh, says being selected for the international competition is an exceptional result.
“It’s a tremendous achievement for the team to be finalists, especially in such an important area. It’s an opportunity to showcase our innovation and capabilities on a world stage.
“It’s brilliant too that the team is entering an updated version of the traditional bach into this competition for sustainable housing which will help raise public awareness about energy efficiency.”
The Solar Decathlon competition challenges university teams from around the world with the winner being the team that best combines design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum energy efficiency.
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
Other teams include 16 from the US and contestants from China, Belgium and Canada.
Applications were evaluated by a panel of engineers, scientists and experts from the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. A panel of professionals from the American Institute of Architects, National Association of Home Builders, the US Green Building Council, building industry media and the Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers also evaluated conceptual designs.
More information on the Solar Decathlon can be found at www.solardecathlon.gov
ENDS
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
a.supporter:hover {background:#EC4438!important;} @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { #byline-block div.byline-block {padding-right:16px;}}
Using Scoop for work?
Scoop is free for personal use, but you’ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features.
Join Pro Individual Find out more
Find more from Victoria University of Wellington on InfoPages.