We are lucky to be in Middlebury, Vermont in the summers. We are especially lucky this summer as we are able to witness an amazing happening...a team of 70 Middlebury College students working around the clock to design and build a solar house on campus that will travel to Washington D.C. in the fall for a huge international competition. We are proud Middlebury alumni and we are following the progress closely. We have written about this event in our summer newsletter. In our newsletter we feature exemplary student work and helpful resources. If you would like to receive several Cadwell Collaborative newsletters a year, you can sign up here. To learn more about the Solar Decathlon and the Middlebury College Solar Home visit their student designed and managed website and blog. Every two years, the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition illuminates the National Mall with a working display of energy innovation in action. One of the most ambitious and inspiring events in the country, it challenges 20 collegiate teams to demonstrate inventive, clean-energy solutions by building solar-powered houses that feature cost-effective, energy-efficient construction and incorporate energy-saving appliances and renewable energy systems.
The Solar Decathlon has grown into one of the most highly anticipated design competitions ever held. Thousands of people visit the National Mall to see and experience the practical housing solutions developed by competing teams: real-world solutions that are available today. To tour the Middlebury team's solar home and the other 19 entries, plan a trip to the National Mall in Washington D.C. between September 13-Oct 2. Find out more about the competition by visiting the Solar Decathlon website.
Middlebury is the first ever liberal arts college to enter the U.S. Solar Decathlon alone. By combining past paradigms with current technologies, they are designing and building a home that exemplifies a truly comprehensive view of sustainability...a New England farmhouse for the 21st century. Students hold all leadership positions, and are assisted by two faculty advisors who specialize in architecture and construction. Along with designing and building the home, the Middlebury team strives to spread the spirit of environmental innovation. Their outreach mission is to engage people of all ages in interactive activities about green building, clean energy, and sustainability. They hope that their project will inspire others to be as excited as they are about creatively confronting the environmental challenges of this generation. We recommend this news story featured on WCAX.