Collegiate Times

A team of Virginia Tech students and faculty took part in moving the Tech Solar House to Richmond last Thursday, where it will be on display at the Science Museum of Virginia beginning in February.

The award-winning project was designed and constructed by an extensive team of students and faculty from both the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, and the College of Engineering with the goal to compete at the 2005 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

“The competition really provided (our team) with an excuse to demonstrate the power of solar innovation, and use that as an educational tool,” said Robert Schubert, Tech’s associate dean of research in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies.

Since winning fourth overall at the Solar Decathlon competition, as well as notable honors that include ‘Best Architecture,’ ‘Best Livability,’ ‘Best Day lighting,’ and ‘Best Electric Lighting,’ the house has been on campus at Cowgill Hall. Now, however, the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond will house the project through 2008.

Although several Solar House team members traveled with the project to Richmond last weekend, museum personnel are still working hard to finish its installation.

The list of project faculty include College of Architecture and Urban Studies associate dean of research, Robert Schubert, Robert Dunay, professor and chair of the Department of Industrial Design, and Joe Wheeler, assistant professor of architecture, who all worked alongside a large team of students from various engineering and architecture departments.

When asked how soon the actual exhibit will open, museum public relations manager Nancy Tait said, “We’re still working on it. I know there is a lot to setting the system up, but I think the plan is to wait until all of the parts are up and running before it is displayed to the public, so people can really see how the plan works.”

While on display at the museum, the house will be set up to demonstrate to visitors how solar energy is a feasible, and probably necessary solution for the future.

“We’re very happy to have the house here on display,” Tait said. “It has a lot of great implications.”

The partnership between Tech and the museum is led by museum scientist David Hagan and Robert Schubert.

According to Hagan, this is the first time the installation will use the resources of the geothermal well, which was donated to the project by the Simmons Company. Amazingly, the well is 502 feet deep, 300 of which goes through solid granite. The efficiency of this is that the cool temperature provided by the water and rock in the well provides the cooling effect inside the house.

“It is an amazing display and it is going to be really neat to see the public’s reaction,” said Hagan. “The partnership with Tech is very gratifying and its great to work with such an amazing team.”