BIG RAPIDS — Three teams of Ferris State University students have been selected among 55 teams representing 38 universities advancing as finalists in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2022 Design Challenge.
The Solar Decathlon is a collegiate competition that prepares the next generation of building professionals to design and build high-performance, low-carbon buildings powered by renewables.
Finalist teams are set to compete in the Solar Decathlon competition event, April 22-24, 2022, at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. There will be virtual participation available for students who are unable to travel to the in-person competition.
Up to 10 teams per division were selected as finalists, with divisions spanning the following building types: new housing. retrofit housing, attached housing, multifamily building, office building, and education building.
Cylee Weining, one of the Ferris team leaders and a third-year engineering student, said the opportunity to participate is unique and educational.
“As third-year architecture students, we decided to take part in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon to gain real-world experience,” Weining said. “Competing in the competition will provide us with valuable experiences to implement in future projects when employed after graduation. As participants, we have chosen either to focus our Solar Decathlon project on new construction or an existing building or home.
“Throughout the competition, we will transform our chosen building or home into an energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, net zero project,” she added. “As a leader, I get to conduct all the behind-the-scenes planning of the project. I make sure everyone in the team is working towards a unified project.”
Members of Weining’s team include Adrianna Georg, Alex Garber, Makenna Karst, and Ashleigh Armstrong.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2022, the Solar Decathlon has challenged more than 25,000 students to create efficient, affordable buildings powered by renewables while promoting student innovation, STEM education, and workforce development opportunities in the buildings industry.
This year, all three Ferris teams were selected as finalists in their category. First-place winners of the competition will be chosen in each division, with one grand winner selected in each of the residential and commercial categories.
Ferris has only committed to the design challenge and currently has made no plans to continue with the build challenge as that is outside of the timeframe for the majority of the university’s participants.
Nathan Seaman, another leader for one of the Ferris teams, said the competition will allow Ferris students to showcase their knowledge.
“This competition has been an opportunity to learn, network, grow, and experience a deeper level of design than we’ve been shown before,” Seaman said. “The ultimate goal for our team is to be selected as the winner within the new housing category and to be able to represent Ferris and ourselves on an international scale, but being able to produce a design that pairs comfort and consideration to be healthy for the occupants and the surrounding environment will also be a huge accomplishment for us.
“It allows us a chance to develop a fully-realized design without a strict program and expectations as to what we produce,” he added. “Of course, there are requirements and deliverables that we have to create, but it is very much open-ended. It gives us a different take on architecture because we aren’t designing only for a grade in a course, but in a competitive environment where being unique is more manageable.”
REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE
According to the USDA, buildings account for 75% of electricity use, 40% of total energy use, and 35% of carbon emissions in the United States.
The Solar Decathlon supports a key strategy for tackling climate challenges: developing a workforce that is equipped to design and construct a low-carbon building stock and deliver an equitable clean energy future.
Weining said continued research and efforts to improve renewable energy are vital.
“Prioritizing research into renewable energy sources is important as fossil fuels are ruining our environment,” Weining said. “Educating others on renewable resources will encourage more individuals to participate in the net zero world initiative. To prioritize education on renewable energy jobs Ferris state educates students in an environmental systems class.
“Personally, I have learned so much about the importance of renewable energy throughout this course that I will use throughout my lifetime,” she added.
Students on Seaman’s team include Haley Wildfong, Cory Hoffmann, Dana Duff, and Natalie Denbesten.
Seaman explained that preparation for the competition has entailed hard work and long hours.
“Our team has weekly meetings where we talk about design solutions and progress in developing all the building systems in a cohesive manner,” Seaman said. “We attend check-ins with the Department of Energy and have been doing lots of individual research into the specifics of different building systems and construction laws.”
Since 2002, the Solar Decathlon has involved more than 790 collegiate teams, who pursued a multidisciplinary approach to study the requirements for designing and building zero energy apartments, houses, schools, and office buildings.
Seaman said his team’s ultimate goal is to be selected as the winner within the new housing category and to be able to represent Ferris and their team on an international scale.
Being able to produce a design that pairs comfort and consideration to be healthy for the occupants and the surrounding environment will also be a huge accomplishment for the team.
“Within the architectural and facility management program at Ferris, the focus is very heavily centered on not only renewable energy but on passive design to reduce the amount of energy needed in the first place and being conscientious about how design decisions are being made,” Seaman said. “Research into renewable energy is more important now than it has ever been in looking outside of the United States and searching for ways to make a lifestyle, such as in our case, the suburban lifestyle a sustainable option.
“We’re finding solutions that are not only viable but over time more affordable and rewarding than the current systems that exist,” he added. “Only by pushing boundaries and utilizing ingenuity can we build a future we would like to experience.”
For more information on the Solar Decathlon and its participating university teams, visit the competition’s official website at www.solardecathlon.gov.
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