QSDT Takes on the Solar Decathlon

The Queen's Solar Design team is in Washington D.C!

We travelled here on Wednesday to attend the 2009 Solar Decathlon. After three days on mall, we are cold and wet, but more excited than ever to submit our proposal and participate in this incredible event. The commitment of the teams, quality of the designs, and the interests displayed by the public are truly inspiring.

While we have yet to see the sun, 15 of the teams were net-zero and lineups to see the houses have been as long as an hour. Team Germany from the Technische Universitat Darmstadt won the competition on Friday for the second year in a row with their Sur-plus home. Illinois' Gable Home came second, and featured a passive solar design; a huge advantage during this un-seasonal weather. Team California came third for the second year in a row with their Refract House design, winning both the Architecture and Market Viability competitions.

Canada had an excellent showing at this decathlon. Team Ontario/BC finished fourth with North House and Team Alberta sixth with SolAbode, an indication of the dedication of both student teams and Canada's commitment and leadership in the development of a sustainable future.

Congratulations to all teams!

Friday Morning at the National Mall. The top three placing houses: Refract House (left), Gable House (right) and Sur-plus home (distant right) are all visible as well as Minnesota's Icon House.

The House Alberta Built

With the Queen’s Solar Design Team’s efforts in full swing and our list of partners growing, I took a short trip to Calgary to visiting the SolAbode team. The team composed of four schools, University of Calgary, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Mount Royal University, and Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD), will be competing in the 2009 Solar Decathlon. Taking a break from his overly busy schedule Mack Blackwell, the project chair, walked me through the design, systems and overall architecture of their house. With a construction site right on the SAIT campus, the team has taken advantage of the school’s construction and electrical courses to help build their house. Mark explained the overall concepts used to guide the design of the house to unite the natural recourses present in western Canada and the new growing green technology industry.

The house was nearly complete with the main structure finished the team was in the process of installing and testing their photovoltaic systems. Their hot water and electrical systems were being finished and the project was coming to its Washington D.C. conclusion. The SolAbode team had developed a new rail system to allow them to transport their house easier. With the house breaking into five modulus, each piece can simply slide right onto the bed of transport and be driven to the east coast.

Overall the project looks to be a great success, and wonderful example of the teamwork in Calgary. The QSDT looks forward to collaborating with the SolAbode team in the future and can’t wait to see the house up and running in Washington. Thanks Team Alberta!

For more information on SolAbode, visit Team Alberta's website or visit the home in Washington on the National Mall starting Friday October 9th.

-Sean Seemann

Hiring: Assistant Project Manager

The Queen’s University Solar Design Team (QSDT) is currently preparing a bid to compete in the US Department of Energy’s 2011 Solar Decathlon. This international competition will see 20 renowned Universities compete on the world stage to design, build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy efficient solar-powered house. The QSDT is seeking a Project Manager (In Training) to support the acting Project Manager as the team submits a bid to compete in the Solar Decathlon.

We are currently looking for experienced, success-driven individuals to work with our team of engineers, business students, architects, and urban planners. Ideal candidates for this position will demonstrate self-motivational skills, possess a competitive spirit, and thrive in a collaborative team environment. Ideal candidates will have strong organizational abilities, the ability to oversee a large multi-disciplinary team, and the ability to communicate effectively between industry, faculty, and student partners. The candidate must be willing to devote substantial extra-curricular hours to the project, feel confident in a leadership role, and be willing to learn new skills. The candidate must be available to work with the team up to and including the 2011/12 academic school year.

The Project Manager (In Training) will:

• Assist the project manager in coordinating the design and manufacture of a solar powered home
• Prepare project plans and timelines
• Coordinate communication between different sub-teams
• Work closely with the members of the technical team to ensure each of the team’s constituent components work in an integrated fashion
• Motivate team members
• Observe and make recommendations on the health and safety practices of the solar team

As PM (In Training) you will:

• Receive training in project management techniques used in industry such as critical path timelines, budgeting and organizing personnel
• Play a major leadership role in an integrated engineering project, learning to coordinate and optimize the team’s systems and performance
• Be provided with industry standard project management software
• Learn through guidance and supervision from senior team members and faculty

As PM (In Training) you will be granted an incredible opportunity to grow and learn in a multi-disciplinary project tackling pressing real-world problems. These experiences are not normally available in the classroom and will provide the successful candidate with unique and highly sought after skills.

Applications should include a CV as well as a transcript (Qcard is acceptable) and are due October 1, 2009 at 5PM.

Please send applications to info.qsdt@gmail.com

Hiring: Director of Communications

The Queen’s University Solar Design Team (QSDT) is currently preparing a bid to compete in the US Department of Energy’s 2011 Solar Decathlon. This international competition will see 20 renowned Universities compete on the world stage to design, build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy efficient solar-powered house. The QSDT is seeking a Director of Communications to support the team as it submits a bid to compete in the Solar Decathlon.

We are currently looking for experienced, success-driven individuals to work with our team of engineers, business students, architects, and urban planners. Ideal candidates for this position will demonstrate excellent organizational skills, possess a competitive spirit, and thrive in a collaborative team environment. Ideal candidates will have strong oral and writing skills, the ability to work within a large multi-disciplinary team, and the ability to communicate effectively between industry, faculty, and student partners. The candidate must be willing to devote substantial extra-curricular hours to the project, feel confident in a leadership role, and be willing to learn new skills. This position is open to students in all Faculties.

The Director of Communications will:

• Work with the Project Manager, Business Manager, and advisors to develop a long term communications and marketing strategy.
• Manage the production and editing of the QSDT 2011 Solar Decathlon Proposal, and the timely submission of all necessary documentation
• Oversee the development of the team website and related social media.
• Coordinate communication between different sub-teams and advisors
• Act as the lead media spokesperson
• Oversee the development of promotional material

As Director of Communications you will:

• Learn valuable skills necessary and highly valued in both the private and public sector.
• Play a major leadership role in an integrated multi-disciplinary project, learning to communicate between stakeholders with different backgrounds
• Learn through guidance and supervision from senior team members and faculty

As Director of Communications you will be granted an incredible opportunity to grow and learn in a multi-disciplinary project tackling pressing real-world problems. These experiences are not normally available in the classroom and will provide the successful candidate with unique and highly sought after skills.

Applications should include a CV as well as a transcript (Qcard is acceptable) and are due October 1, 2009 at 5PM.

Please send applications to info.qsdt@gmail.com

North House

On September 2^nd, members of the Queen’s Solar Design Team were given a tour of the North House construction site. Waterloo students were kind enough to show us their Solar Decathlon home, in its final stages of construction. The house looks great, and all systems are working as expected. It is set to be done by September 20^th. Thanks to the North House students kind enough to take time out of their day to show us their systems and good luck to Team North at the decathlon this October. For more information on North House visit their website.

The Exterior of North House

Our First Board Meeting

On Wednesday August 19th, the day after the release of the 2011 Solar Decathlon RFP, the QSDT held our first official board meeting. The meeting was focused towards generating ideas and support for the proposal due in November. The team is very excited to move forward with the proposal. Thanks to all that attended!

The Team and our Architect Bruce Downey after the Board Meeting

An Inspiring Field Trip

On Tuesday August 11th, the team traveled to Tamworth Ontario, just north of Napanee, to see sustainable home construction in action! Dr. Steven Moore of the Queen's School of Business, and his wife Susan Moore were kind enough to give us a tour of their dream home. The earth sheltered dwelling, set right on the Salmon river, is currently a work in progress, but still a sight to be seen.

The team was amazed by the holistic design that the Moores undertook. The house includes passive features such as a trombe wall on the south side, a concrete floor for thermal mass, and an atrium for ventilation and natural light. The team was particularly impressed by the large exposed beams made of reclaimed wood from a local barn. The Moores have also been able to collect a variety of reclaimed doors for use in the house. In addition to the low energy housing design, the Moores have been minimizing waste during construction by saving wood scraps for use in their wood fired stove.

The south facing side of the home.

The north side of the home. Workers are seen installing structurally insulated panels (SIPs) for the roof.

A few of the many yet-to-be finished reclaimed beams exposed throughout the house.

The team's favorite of the many reclaimed doors that will be used in the home.

The team was also given a chance to go across the river and see the restoration of an old mill. The mill is being transformed into a gorgeous residence, with a museum in the basement. Beams from the same barn as the Moore's house were used extensively throughout the house. The contractor gave us a detailed tour explaining how they managed to maintain the exterior of the mill despite the fact that the stone walls were no longer structurally sound. In the basement, there is a turbine that uses the head from the river to produce power.

The exterior of the mill.

The exposed beams and loft on the second story of the house.

The view from the balcony, overlooking the river.

The basement water turbine.

The turbine in action.

The team would like to thank the Moores for this great opportunity. We walked away with many inspirations and new ideas. For more information on the progress of the home visit the Moores' blog Notes from the Underground.

Our Newest Member

The QSDT is excited to announce that Dr. Joshua Pearce has officially joined the team! Dr. Pearce has offered to act as the photovoltaic consultant for the team as we prepare our proposal and design our home. His research interests include photovoltaic materials and electronic device physics of photovoltaic solar cells, applied sustainability, and green engineering. His knowledge and skills will be a great asset to us, as we embark on this exciting journey. Welcome to the team Dr. Pearce!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Queen's Solar Design Team News Centre!

Here you can track our progress as we prepare our bid for the 2011 Solar Decathlon.

We would first like to welcome Dr. John Meligrana to the team as our Urban and Regional Planning faculty consultant. We look forward to working with him and the Queen's School of Urban and Regional Planning to develop a sustainable home that can be integrated to a broader community.

Our first big event, "Beer Snacks and Brainstorming", with SWITCH Kingston, was a huge success. 20+ SWITCH members came out to the grad club on July 15th to learn more about the project and share ideas. The discussion lasted over two hours and the team got lots of helpful feedback. Thanks to all that attended!

We have been busy this summer reaching out to the community and preparing for our proposal. You may have seen us on the trade floor Canadian Green Building Council National Summitin Montreal on June 11-12. We also attended the Canadian Solar Buildings Network Conference in Toronto, June 25-27th. Both were informative and have spawned exciting new partnerships.

Stay posted for more updates soon.

Nate, giving our pitch at the "Beer, Snacks and Brainstorming" event with SWITCH Kingston

Lisa and John talking to interested attendees on the trade show floor at the Canadian Green Building Council National Summit