University of Hawaii Withdraws from Solar Decathlon 2011

“The University of Hawai’i Solar Decathlon team Executive Committee, which includes participating students and members from Honolulu Community College and UH Mānoa, met and discussed the many positive outcomes related to this competition. However, the committee decided that the timing and financial challenges were too large to risk further investment without the guaranteed delivery of the house at this year’s competition,” according to Dean Peter Crouch, College of Engineering, UH Mānoa. He continued, “This was a magnificent effort to plan and build an extraordinary solar house by anyone’s standards and our effort and resources are better invested in planning for future competitions and programs directed at supporting sustainable housing in Hawai`i.”

In the words of UH Mānoa student Elyse Petersen, “We appreciate all the support that we have been receiving from the public and the high level of energy that our students have put into Hale Pilihonua. Over the past few weeks, there have been many developments in the project that increased our budget beyond our original estimates. A combination of many factors has influenced us to announce that we will be withdrawing from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 and will now direct our efforts toward applying for the next Decathlon event in 2013. The SD team’s effort on the project has generated considerable energy not only in the University system but also in the community. We students have come far; this research and development effort has resulted in:

• Architecture students have focused on sustainable design solutions.
• Engineering students have developed innovative solar and intelligent occupancy sensing and interactive LED light system solutions.
• Business students have successfully engaged the community and local industry.
• Construction Technology students have learned how to effectively communicate with Architecture and Engineering students and participate in joint projects.
• Information and Computer Science students have developed Integrated Home Software.
• Aquaponics students have learned how to design custom systems for sustainable living.
• Culinary students have learned how to work with designers to make a house a fully sustainable home.

 These are all skills that we need from our future sustainable workforce leaders, but there is so much more we will learn as this project continues to the next challenge in 2013. Although Hale Pilihonua will not be presented at the Solar Decathlon 2011, the team plans on continuing the research and development energy to reach our goals of presenting clean energy and energy savings solutions to the public.”

“Although all of us are surely disappointed about being unable to complete the last crucial steps in the Solar Decathlon process, the positive news is that we’ve formed strong partnerships while developing this project that will endure and have already strengthened cooperative training, research and planning among UH campuses,” said Virginia S. Hinshaw, UH Mānoa Chancellor.

“This project has helped our University advance green technology across a wide array of academic disciplines to prepare our future graduates to be innovative in a sustainable manner,” she said. The University of Hawaiʻi team extends its gratitude for the generous outpouring of support received from community and industry partners who have provided both monetary and in-kind donations. The team plans on assessing the work done thus far on the project in anticipation for applying to participate in the next Solar Decathlon competition and other competitions.

“This has been a tremendous learning practicum for all the students involved in creating the conceptual design and project plan for Hawai‘i’s entry. They learned tremendous skills in project management, fund relations, communications, as well as the practical applications from each of their respective disciplines. We honor the enthusiasm, dedication and commitment they infused into the project. This project was just the first in a series of “green” building initiatives in which we will partner with our colleagues at UH Mānoa and industry partners to develop the construction workforce of the future,” said Michael T. Rota, Chancellor of Honolulu Community College. The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon challenges colleges and universities in the U.S. and around the world to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. The University of Hawai‘i system was proud to have been selected as one of 20 universities to compete in this year’s competition.

Short URL: http://www.mygreeneducation.com/?p=8328

Posted by Tracey A. Smith on Jun 3 2011. Filed under College, Competitions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry