Helio Hub
Recently, we wrote a couple of blog posts for Helio Hub. The first one is Richard’s perspective about the Solar Decathlon Europe competition:
Attending the Solar Decathlon Europe in Madrid, Spain gave me a new perspective on living—moreover, it showed me how I should live. I am used to seeing large homes with multiple bedrooms, bathrooms and garages. When I arrived in Spain, there were no mansions; instead, there were apartment buildings.
Even as I looked at the homes along the Madrid River in the Solar Villa, I thought to myself, “These homes are too small.” Well, I could not be farther from the truth. As I toured the homes, I started to imagine myself owning one of them in the future. Each home had a maximum square footage of 1000, and that space is more than enough for a few people. Click here to read more.
The other article is a more detailed recap of the Queen’s Solar Design Team’s visit to Madrid for SD Europe:
The Solar Decathlon Europe is part of the ever-expanding renewable energy concept. Born out of the Solar Decathlon U.S., the competition amalgamates architecture, economics and engineering with the intent of raising awareness of sustainable technology and intelligent design. 2010 was premier year for the competition, as the Spanish capital of Madrid played host to 17 university teams from around the world.
The decathlon’s mission is to educate people on the growing renewable industry and the affects it is having on a global scale. Starting from a pool of over a hundred, 20 teams are chosen to design, develop and build a 800 square foot, net positive home. The structures must meet all local, national, and international building codes, as well as provided occupants with modern and comfortable living conditions. With an 18 month design and build phase, the Solar Decathlon Europe is held every two years. Click here to read more.
