Solar Decathlon competition headquartered in MET

The Solar Decathlon is a large and high-profile competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy where teams of university students design, build, and demonstrate solar powered homes. The fundamental purpose of the competition is to raise awareness among students, homebuilders, and the general public about the potential for low energy and sustainable housing. To achieve as much publicity as possible, the competition phase of the project takes place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The houses are evaluated in 10 categories on the National Mall, hence the term "decathlon." The winning team is the one whose house has the best combination of architecture, functionality, energy performance, market appeal, and public outreach.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology is leading Purdue's team in this prestigious competition. In September of 2011, a little more than nine months from now, Team Purdue will erect a fully functional, 1000-square-foot home on the National Mall and compete head-to-head against 19 other teams from universities all over the world.

MET is not alone in this effort. More than 100 students from Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, Business, and Liberal Arts have been working for the past year on the house design, public relations, and fundraising. Construction will start on the Purdue campus in Spring of 2011.

Visit the team Web site for up-to-date information or to provide financial support.

Read the initial announcement of the Purdue's acceptance into the competition.