Labor Day saw the OSU Solar Decathlon Team in Zanesville, Ohio for the Green Living Fayre.  James, Kurtis, and Neil went down to promote Solar Decathlon and raise awareness of the impending competition.  Despite some inclement weather, the event was relatively well attended.  Those who stopped by the booth got to learn from our wall insulation mock-ups, the evacuated tube array model, and were directed to stay tuned as the competition gets under way.  It was a fun event, where we met some future OSU students, new acquaintances in the sustainability advocacy community, and people with unique perspectives on energy and the environment.

Click on the link below to download the June/July edition of our newsletter.

You can see our team picture, and also find out what we've been up to so far this Summer.

Go Bucks!

Eager to see how construction is progressing?  Check out this live image of our house.

On February 9, 2009, OSU President E. Gordon Gee delivered the opening address of the 91st annual meeting of the American Council on Education, the Robert H. Atwell Lecture, in Washington D.C..  Featured prominently in his address, "A Call to (Link) Arms", was the OSU Solar Decathlon Team:

"A couple of weeks ago, I spoke at a student-led event for our Solar Decathlon Team. Many of you likely have students working on this same project. The idea is for students to design, create, and build homes that are net-zero in their carbon footprint. Next fall, 20 student teams from across the country will transport their creations here to the Mall, where they will be re-assembled and judged.

What I especially admire about Ohio State's Solar Decathlon team is its composition: 60 members from 20 different majors. Engineers, artists, architects, accountants, marketing students, and more. That easy, ingrained, Millennial Generation approach to problem-solving is one of my great sources of hope for the future, by the way."

The OSU Solar Decathlon Team is honored to be named in a national address to leaders of higher of education and to be percieved as a vanguard, not only in the problems we aim to address, but also in manner in which we aim. 

The OSU Solar Decathlon team hosted its first major event on January 27th, 2009.  Guests included team sponsors, university and government officials, and assorted press.  Deanna, Kara, and Kurtis introduced the project and the team, and President Gee was in attendance to give his remarks.  He said that he would move right in to the house if given the chance!  Thank you to all who attended and made it such a great event!  Look for more pictures in the Team gallery soon.

Pictured: Kurtis Meyer; OSU President E. Gordon Gee; Kara Shell; Deanna Hinkle.
Photo by Kevin Fitzsimons, The Ohio State University

We had a great meeting last with Hull & Associates. We learned alot about all the great work they are doing and made some great contacts withing the community. We look forward to continuing to work with Hull & Associates in the near future. Thanks to all those that made it happen!

~Lucas

Over the past few months, people in the sustainable energy movement have been afraid that the current economic situation is the final nail in the coffin. That’s it. That’s all she wrote. We didn’t even get past infancy, and we’re already done in.

This is not necessarily the case.

The truth is the rise of a more frugal lifestyle, like what is happening in the current economic crisis, is exactly what we need to push our movement to the next level. This is an opportunity, not a downward spiral.

It won’t be easy, though- there’s a lot to be done and not a lot of time in which to do it. We’ve got to step up, and not just in the movement. We’ve got to take charge on the local level, the state level, and the national level. People don’t want the “New boss, same as the old boss” anymore. People want something new, and it’s up to give the people what they want.

We’ve been given a chance to bring a new, sustainable lifestyle to the American people. It’s going to be a long, painful fight, but the price of action right now far outweighs the price of inaction for us, for our environment, and for our country’s future.

But I know what you’re thinking. “Gas prices are dropping, so things have to be getting better, right? We fought the fight, and now we won!” Three things. 1) It was conservation that dropped prices- a record 10% drop in demand, and if we go back to the way things were, the prices will do exactly the same. 2) CO2 emissions don’t operate on the market. And 3) Gas prices and utility bills are wholly separate entities. Just because you’re paying less at the pump doesn’t mean you’re paying less for electric or natural gas.

I’m going to repeat that.

Just because you’re paying less at the pump doesn’t mean you’re paying less for electric or natural gas.

We need to hammer (Literally and figuratively) this point home so that the desire to build more sustainable homes doesn’t go hand in hand with gas prices.

~ Martin Josepho

The Solar Decathlon team will have a information booth at our build site, just south east of Ohio Stadium, during the pregame festivities for the Penn State vs. The Ohio State University football game this Saturday. We will be setup from 4-7p.m. so there is plenty of time to come and check out our progress, learn more about the house, and meet the team. As an added bonus we may be hosting a few members of the Penn State Solar decathlon team. Hope to see you all there.

Go Bucks!

Lucas

Last Saturday, October 4th, the Solar Decathlon Team and sister project POD had the thrill of being part of the Ohio State University/Clintonville Solar Tour. It was great that visitors got to see and touch the nearly completed POD project and the hear about our plans for Solar House 1. Team members Kara, Kurtis, James, Mark, and myself described the two projects to over 50 visitors. Thanks to all those that came on the tour we enjoyed the experience greatly. Thanks also to Scott and Sarah for including us in the plans for the tour.

~Lucas

Last Friday afternoon the Solar Decathlon team attended the Scarlet Gray and Green Fair on central campus. It sure is amazing how much this event has grown. Seeing the event grow from where it was during my freshmen year certainly is a measure of how far sustainability issues have come. It was great to be back on campus interacting with students and seeing all our friends. Thanks to team members James, Derek, Bethany, and Kurtis for working the booth. Congrats and thanks to Stacy and Christie for hosting the greenest event on campus!