The 10 Contests in the 2011 Solar Decathlon
As the Decathlon has matured, so have the ten contests. Some have been tweaked, others dropped entirely and replaced with new ones. Although architecture and engineering are the two most important disciplines to integrate, Architecture became a separate category only in 2005, as the 2002 Design & Livability contest was split into Architecture and Dwelling. Engineering did not appear as a separate contest until 2007, when Livability vanished as a separate contest. Market Viability arrived that same year in recognition that innovation in the other categories matters most if it can influence the market. Getting Around, a contest based on miles driven in an electric car powered by the house itself, was eliminated after 2007. The year 2009 was the first in which the teams were connected in a mini-grid, rather than having to use batteries, thus turning the Energy Balance contest into one that more accurately models the interconnectivity of communities, and liberating significant space in the houses. In perhaps an acknowledgment of shifting priorities, the contest previously known as Home Business dropped off the list after 2002, only to re-emerge as Home Entertainment in 2009. The 2011 contests follow closely those in 2009, but Lighting has lost its independent standing and has been folded into other subjective contests. That makes room for a timely issue, Affordability.
2011 contests
- Architecture
- Market Appeal
- Engineering
- Communications
- Affordability
- Comfort Zone
- Hot Water
- Appliances
- Home Entertainment
- Energy Balance
