As the year comes to a close, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is busy preparing for the Solar Decathlon competition that is being held in Morocco next year in September of 2019. All members of WPI’s Team OCULUS are occupied with drafting, scheduling, or finalizing the structural designs plans, attending meetings, and conducting interviews to ensure that their project for this year, the Geodome, will be ready for the upcoming competition. As the event draws closer with every passing day, the energy, dedication, and passion of the team has been exuding is reminiscent of WPI’s previous Solar Decathlon project.
The year 2012 marked the start of WPI’s participation in the Solar Decathlon competitions. At the time, WPI had been partnered with the Ghent University of Belgium and the Polytechnic Institute of New York to form Team BEMANY. The students at the time finalized the building designs for what they called the Solatrium.
Modern in both architecture and technology, the Solatrium was designed with a large beveled skylight in the center of the roof, giving residents a feeling of spaciousness and providing ventilation to the structure. Lightweight wall panels with an insulated core provided the structure resiliency and a thermal barrier while specially coated glass windows moderated light and radiation levels. However, one of the coolest features of the house were the tiles, utilizing phase-changing materials which absorbed and released heat as needed. Aiming for victory in the Solar Decathlon, Team BEMANY fought hard to create an innovative and comfortable space.
During this competition, the team was awarded first in the Hot Water and Energy Balance contests while placing fourth in the communications criteria. The New York team had designed and constructed a new set of floor tiles to keep interior temperatures stable, an innovative decision resulting in placing first in the Energy Balance and Hot Water criteria..
The achievements of WPI’s past Solar Decathlon competition sets a high precedent for the current Team OCULUS to achieve, or even surpass. While the competition is still not for another year, one thing remains constant between the current team and team BEMANY: the palpable drive and enthusiasm of the teams. With Team Oculus having the same drive and dedication as past teams, it is undoubtable that the new Geodome will be a hot contender with other houses in this year’s competition and the previous Solatrium.
Team Oculus has high hopes for what we can achieve in Solar Decathlon Africa and we can’t wait to keep you updated!
