Team Middlebury College has earned the opportunity to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011, a competition which challenges students from around the world to design and build 100% solar-powered homes. In September 2011, our student-led team will be one of 20 finalists to erect a complete, fully-functioning, net zero-energy home on the National Mall in Washington D.C., facing competitors like Team China and Team California. The competition is a chance for our team to redefine the future of residential energy use and home design, and to educate large audiences about sustainable living. It is also an opportunity for students studying different disciplines to come together, work as a team, and gain real life experience that will prove invaluable when entering the job market. Currently, our team is comprised of more than 80 students from 20 different majors. We tackle challenges from how to use computer modeling to optimize a home’s energy system to how to educate the Middlebury community about green building. At the end of March, we began constructing our vision of the New England farmhouse, Self-Reliance, which is designed for a Vermont family of four. It features a green wall and ample public living space, as well as locally sources, environmentally friendly materials.

People Spring Symposium Presenters Benjamin Brown Chester Curme Astrid Schanz-Garbassi Melissa Segil Presenters Faculty Advisors Andrea Murray Architecture Faculty Advisor & Visiting Lecturer in Architecture, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP Ashar Nelson Construction Faculty Advisor & Visiting Asst. Professor of Architecture

Related Links Middlebury College Solar Decathlon Team Official Web Site Project on MiddSTART Facebook Page Follow the team on Twitter Flickr Stream YouTube Channel National Competition U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon YouTube Channel

Downloads Symposium Presentation Slides [PowerPoint]