April 28, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sandra Stannard
(805) 756-2076
Robert Peña
(805) 756-5207
Website: http://solardecathlon.calpoly.edu
Cal Poly To Unveil Solar Decathlon Entry May 12
SAN LUIS OBISPO--A small, solar-powered house, designed and built by Cal Poly students, will travel by truck next fall to Washington, D.C., for the 2005 Solar Decathlon sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Solar Cal Poly, the university’s interdisciplinary student team and the only California entry participating in this international competition, will unveil plans for the house during a campus kick-off event from 3-5 p.m. on Thursday, May 12. The kick-off is free, open to the public, and will be held on the Cal Poly softball practice field located near the Dairy Unit and Parking Lot H1 on Mount Bishop Road. Off-campus attendees may park in Lot H1 at no charge.
Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee, who introduced Assembly Bill 1585 on
behalf of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, will be a guest speaker.
The bill would establish market-based incentives for renewable-energy
technology such as solar power.
The Cal Poly team entered the contest to raise public awareness
about the need for energy conservation. In addition, Cal Poly plays
an important role in educating tomorrow’s building industry
professionals about sustainable uses of natural resources. According
to Sandy Stannard, one of the faculty advisors working on the project,
“Our goal for this project is to be an inspiring example of
resourcefulness: in design, material use, and energy consumption.
And, we’d like to win the competition.”
Several architecture, engineering, business, mathematics and journalism students are combining their talents to design and build the 650-square-foot home on campus. After undergoing testing, it will be transported in mid-September by truck to Washington, D.C., where it will be on display on the National Mall for a portion of the three-week competition. The team will compete with 17 other universities in 10 contests that range from design to building performance. For more information about the Solar Decathlon 2005, see http://www.eere.energy.gov/solardecathlon/.
The students are seeking financial support as well as in-kind donations of materials and supplies to meet the project’s $500,000 fund-raising goal. To offer assistance, contact Architecture Professor Rob Peña, Cal Poly College of Architecture and Environmental Design, at (805) 756-5207 or rpena@calpoly.edu. For additional information, visit the Solar Cal Poly team Web site: http://www.solardecathlon.calpoly.edu .
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