DesertSol, a solar-powered house designed and built by students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, recently received top honors at the International Solar Decathlon, a competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. DesertSol featured LED recessed lighting fixtures donated by Nora Lighting and DECOLights Inc., the Nora commercial accounts firm for southern Nevada.
DesertSol took first place honors among all competing U.S. universities and second place honors at the international level. Students from the Vienna University of Technology in Austria won international first place with a dwelling called LISI (Living Inspired by Sustainable Innovation).
Twenty universities and technical colleges worldwide were qualified to enter the competition. The teams were challenged to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that were cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive. This was the sixth International Solar Decathlon, which is held every two years.
“The Solar Decathlon was a very valuable opportunity to demonstrate the efficiency of LED fixtures, which were installed throughout DesertSol,” says Fred Farzan, president, Nora Lighting. “Both the students and viewing public could see the long-term advantages of energy-saving LED lighting, which offers new comfort levels and styles.”
Derek Duncan, owner of DECOLights, volunteered as a sponsor and provided on-going technical assistance in lighting design and installation. “At DECOLights we strongly believe in supporting activities for the betterment of the community,” Duncan notes. “When we heard about UNLV’s participation in the competition, we offered to provide products and technical expertise, and were very pleased to act as mentors throughout the design and build process.”
Duncan explained that DesertSol was completely constructed by students on the campus, where it met all building inspection requirements. It was then disassembled and sent by flatbed truck to the staging and judging site at The Great Park in Orange County, Calif., where it was open to the public in October.
The teams from UNLV and Austria were close competitors. Only four points separated the first and second place winners at the international level. Out of a possible score of 1,000 points, UNLV received 947 points and Vienna Tech received 951.
The UNLV team spent nearly two years preparing for the competition, reports Eric Weber, assistant professor of architecture at UNLV and faculty leader for the team. “Hundreds of students from multiple disciplines, including architecture, engineering, design and computer science, participated in this university-wide effort,” he says. “The students all deserve tremendous credit for their dedication and outstanding effort to bring this project to fruition and to compete on an international level. It’s an achievement they can be proud of their entire lives.”
DesertSol returned to Las Vegas after the competition, where it will be on view to the general public at The Springs Preserve.
Since 2002 the Solar Decathlon has involved 112 collegiate teams and nearly 17,000 participants. The Solar Decathlon is intended to educate students and the public about the money-saving opportunities and environmental benefits presented by clean-energy products and design solutions. It also provides students with training that prepares them to enter the clean-energy workforce. “The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal and design excellence with optimal energy products and maximum efficiency,” reported the U.S. Department of Energy.