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For Immediate Release
October 1, 2011 Contacts: Neil Tickner, 301 405 4622 or ntickner@umd.edu UMD's 'WaterShed' Wins Solar Decathlon 2011Home's Innovative Sustainablity Inspired by the Chesapeake Bay
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland's innovative WaterShed House has won the highly competitive U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011. The Purdue University team took second place, and New Zealand received third-place honors in the international competition. U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced the results on Oct. 1. See official scores here A team of 200 Maryland students, faculty and mentors from multiple disciplines designed and built WaterShed to blend solar energy efficiency and water conservation. They drew their inspiration from the Chesapeake Bay.
"The innovation, creativity, skill, vision, cooperation, determination, and, yes, energy displayed by this team is both remarkable and a joy," says University of Maryland President Wallace Loh. "I couldn't be more proud of their work and accomplishment. These students, faculty and mentors have dedicated themselves to addressing critical needs of Maryland, the nation, and other countries. They're the perfect example of what a public research university is all about." The international competition challenges 20 finalist collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive.
Panels of experts judge the competing entries on ten dimensions, and the Terps came in first overall, and placed first in Architecture, Energy Balance and Hot Water.
"WaterShed achieves an elegant mix of inspiration, function, and simplicity," reported Architecture Juror Michelle Kaufman. "It takes our current greatest challenges in the built environment - energy and water - and transforms them into opportunities for spatial beauty and poetry while maintaining livability in every square inch." The Maryland team was the only one from the state and the Washington, D.C. area, and their performance over the past several days generated growing excitement.
-Kudos to the UMD WaterShed Team- "I'm more than proud that the Maryland WaterShed team's vision and effort was recognized as a first-place accomplishment on the international stage. The team's innovation and commitment to sustainability is a terrific representation of the state itself. Their work not only shines, but contributes to a better, stronger Maryland. Go Terps!" "Mr. President, today I
wish to congratulate the University of
Maryland, UMD, for winning the U.S.
Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon 2011 competition....I am so proud of the collaborative efforts
of more than 200 UMD students,
faculty, and mentors from diverse disciplines across the campus who participated in making their entry, WaterShed, such a resounding success....The University
of Maryland's work in publicizing
and promoting sustainable housing
options like WaterShed for the residents of the Chesapeake Bay region
will go a long way toward preserving
this treasured resource....The success of WaterShed is the pinnacle
of a long history of achievement
for the University of Maryland in the
Solar Decathlon competition...." "Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a talented team of students from my alma mater, the University of Maryland, who this weekend won first place at the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon 2011 here in Washington....By blending innovation and technology with sustainability and conservation, these students demonstrated the creativity, teamwork, technical knowledge, and determination that are essential as we work to revive our economy and regain our nation's place as a leader in high tech and sustainable manufacturing...."  "These students from diverse disciplines effectively formed a cohesive team to imagine, invent, and make real the project we call WaterShed," says the project's principal investigator Amy Gardner, an associate professor of architecture at the University Maryland. "Interdisciplinary problem solving is the way forward towards a more sustainable future."
Inspired by the Chesapeake Bay, the power of WaterShed's design comes from its twin focus on efficient, renewable energy and water quality and conservation, Gardner adds. It harvests, recycles and reuses water, while harmonizing modernity, tradition, and simple building strategies. The house balances time-tested best practices and advanced technological solutions to achieve high efficiency performance in an affordable manner. WaterShed integrates a unique array of sustainable features, including:
"Taken together, these design features make WaterShed less thirsty for fossil fuels than standard homes and less dependent on costly water purifying infrastructure," explain team members Allison Wilson and Leah Davies. "The house acts as a micro-ecosystem that encourages residents to live a more sustainable lifestyle - not only by conserving but also by capturing and reusing natural resources." DEHUMIDIFYING INDOOR WATERFALL
Among WaterShed's innovations is the patent-pending indoor waterfall, which first debuted in the team's 2007 entry in the competition, LEAFHouse. "The waterfall provides humidity control in an aesthetically pleasing manner, and quickly brought an explosion of interest," explains Gardner, who served as principal investigator on both LEAFHouse and WaterShed. Maryland Engineering Professor Reinhard Rademacher proposed that a system like this one could work, and students proceeded to develop it. "Student entrepreneurship and innovation suffuses this whole competition," says University of Maryland Dean of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, David Cronrath. BUILDING ON SUCCESS In 2007, the Maryland team placed second overall and first among U.S. participants. WaterShed builds on the success of that entry - LEAFHouse - and carries the design to the next level. The Maryland Solar Decathlon Team involves students and faculty from the Maryland School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, the A. James Clark School of Engineering, the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, the University Libraries, and the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Maryland businesses and professional groups are providing significant support as well. MEDIA CONTACTS
Amy Gardner AIA LEED-AP
Maggie Haslam, Communicator
Neil Tickner, Communicator
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 Information provided by the Office of University CommunicationsEmail University Communications at emailum@umd.edu |
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