For the multidisciplinary team of University faculty and students competing in the national Solar Decathlon, "The sky is no limit." That's the motto adopted for the contest, in which teams will compete, not in conventional events such as the high jump, shot put and discus throw, but in such categories as design and livability, lighting and refrigeration.

Led by Lian-Ping Wang, associate professor of mechanical engineering, the UD team is one of 14 from universities throughout the nation competing in a new event sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and private-sector partners. Each team's assignment is to design and build a 500-square-foot, self-sufficient, solar-powered house, with the end products to be displayed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., next October.

The contest is expected to generate nationwide publicity, particularly during the week that the houses will be open to the media on the Mall. Plans call for the display to be set up like a small village, with information booths, tours and students available to answer questions during operating hours. ABC's Good Morning America is paying attention to the project, according to Richard King, program manager at DOE. "We met with the GMA producers and got clear indication that our event will receive great coverage," he says.

The overriding goal in developing the solar-powered houses is to integrate architectural design with engineering, organizers of the contest say.

"We want to design a house that is energy-efficient to begin with, so that we can reduce the power requirements," Wang says. "Beyond that, the power required to run the house will be derived directly from the sun, rather than from commercial power sources." He says accomplishing the goal will involve a two-part approach on the part of designers--converting solar energy to electricity using photovoltaic solar cells, as well as harnessing the sun's thermal energy directly for heat and hot water. Wang emphasizes that the requirements are more extensive than just heating and cooling, including, for example, enough power generation to run a computer-based home business and operate an electric car.

Communication will be an important part of the project and is one of the 10 individual events in the decathlon. "One of the sponsor's main goals is educating the public," says Ajay Prasad, associate professor of mechanical engineering and adviser to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) student chapter at UD. "To design a good solar house, you have to think differently, and it's going to be important for these students to be able to articulate and graphically communicate the concepts that went into the design and operation of the house." Prasad expects the project to provide a focus for the student organization for the next few years.

Wang acknowledges that there is much to do before the UD house makes its trip to the nation's capital. However, he says, the project is well under way. A preliminary design incorporating kitchen, bathroom and living and sleeping areas has been developed, with the assistance of architect Kelli Dobbs in the University's Center for Historic Architecture and Design and solar-design engineer Thomas Hughes-Lampros at UD's Institute of Energy Conversion. The semicircular house will face south to take full advantage of incident radiation during daylight hours.

The team, named "UD Solar," has received a total of $20,000 from the DOE and the University, which has provided a lot at 115 Delaware Ave. to use as a construction site before the competition and a permanent display site afterward.

A faculty/staff advisory panel has been formed to help organize and guide the students who eventually join the team. Groups have been assigned to handle architecture design, energy conversion and engineering and fund raising. While the Department of Mechanical Engineering is leading the effort, a number of other departments and centers on campus also will be involved. Ultimately, about 15 faculty/staff advisers and 30 undergraduate students will participate, Wang says.

"We need civil engineers for structural issues, electrical engineers for wiring and people from business for fund raising and communication," he says. The project is expected to cost a minimum of $120,000. James Glancey, associate professor of bioresources engineering, and Wanda Mock, director of development for the College of Engineering, are assisting with the fund-raising effort. "Industrial sponsorship for the project is critical, as the DOE and the University funds are intended only as seed money," Glancey says.

Wang says a number of educational benefits will result from participation in the Solar Decathlon. "Students will learn architectural design and practice, energy conservation and sustainability and solar electricity and solar thermal concepts, as well as teamwork across disciplines," he says. In addition, the project will be integrated into the engineering curricula in such courses as "Thermal Laboratory," "Energy Systems," "Power Generation System Design" and "Construction Methods and Management."

Other benefits are expected to accrue to the departments and the University, including enhanced industrial collaborations and visibility for the Institute of Energy Conversion, a national center of excellence in photovoltaic research, Wang says.

The solar house is expected to be re-erected on campus permanently at the Delaware Avenue site after its brief stay on the Mall in Washington. "The house can serve as both a display and a 'living lab,'" Prasad says. "It could also be used for research purposes and would be a wonderful exhibit to use as a recruitment tool with prospective students and their parents."

The Solar Decathlon house won't be the first solar house on campus. In July 1973, Solar One opened to claims that "the sun is the wave of the future." Three decades later, a group of dedicated UD students and faculty says it is ready again to prove that the statement is true.

"One of our main goals is to demonstrate that there are alternative energy sources available and ready to be implemented today," Lauren Leonard, key student contact for the project and a member of the ASME student chapter, says. "It is possible for a modern house to function using the sun's power as its only source for energy."

The UD Solar team is seeking donations in any form--money, materials or expertise--to convert the dream of a solar house to reality. Potential donors should contact Wang at [lwang@me.udel.edu] or Leonard at [lrlenn@udel.edu].

-- Diane Kukich