Partnering for a Sustainable Tomorrow
In a world grappling with increased energy cost, energy equity, and a general misunderstanding about the importance of efficiency, the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Design Challenge serves as a beacon for the home building industry. This collegiate competition empowers the next generation of building professionals to craft high-performance, low-carbon buildings fueled by renewables. In 2024, Georgia Tech’s Solar Decathlon Team steps into the forefront, with Alair Buckhead and Partner Frank Wickstead playing a pivotal role in this mission.
Project Overview
The Solar Decathlon Design Challenge provides a stage for collegiate students and faculty to innovate and create high-performance buildings that tackle real-world issues. Given that buildings are responsible for a significant share of electricity use, energy consumption, and carbon emissions, modernizing our built environment is an urgent need. The competition encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and emphasizes creating net-zero energy, and affordable homes in underserved communities. This project seeks to make a substantial impact on energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.
Meet the Participants
The Georgia Tech 2024 Solar Decathlon Team comprises a diverse group of passionate students committed to shaping a sustainable future. This project serves as an interdisciplinary platform where students from various fields, including architecture, construction, engineering, marketing, and business, collaborate to develop innovative solutions.
Student Leads
Georgia Tech’s Solar Decathlon Team is led by Georgia Tech students Jackie Zong, Arya Desai, and Rachel Witherspoon.
Partnerships
The Georgia Tech team collaborates closely with several organizations, crucial to making this project a reality.
Westside Future Fund (WFF): WFF, a nonprofit formed by Atlanta’s public, private, and philanthropic partners, envisions a future where Atlanta’s Westside revitalizes into a community that Dr. King would be proud to call home. They focus on advancing a compassionate approach to neighborhood revitalization, creating a diverse, mixed-income community, and preserving the area’s unique history and culture.
Lifecycle Building Center (LBC): LBC, a nonprofit that is empowering communities through building material reuse and educational programs, captures building materials from the waste stream and reintroduces them into the community through reuse. Their vision extends beyond sustainability, aiming to create workforce opportunities by utilizing reclaimed material resources.
The Fuller Center: In collaboration with The Fuller Center, the team leads a volunteer effort to frame the home with Georgia Tech’s Solar Decathlon Team Labor and students from Georgia Tech’s School of Building Construction. The Fuller Center for Housing, a faith-driven nonprofit, promotes partnerships to provide adequate shelter for those in need. Their mission aligns seamlessly with the Solar Decathlon Project’s goal of eradicating poverty, housing, and building homes for people in need.
Sponsors for Georgia Tech’s 2024 Solar Decathlon
To transform Georgia Tech’s Solar Decathlon’s vision of an affordable, net-zero energy home into reality, the team relies on sponsors like Alair Buckhead, Mitsubishi, and Huber Engineered Woods to provide essential materials and expertise.
Alair Buckhead: Alair Buckhead, a key sponsor led by Frank Wickstead, enhances home performance and seamlessly integrates homes into communities. Frank emphasizes the importance of prioritizing home performance, indoor air quality, and health. He believes in amplifying home performance features while creating homes that blend harmoniously into their surroundings.
Frank is thrilled to have Mitsubishi Electric as a partner, addressing a key challenge faced by the team: the HVAC system, the most significant energy draw in a typical home. The objective is to substantially reduce HVAC equipment size while enhancing efficiency, moving closer to achieving energy independence.
Huber Engineered Woods: In designing an energy-efficient home, Frank emphasizes the importance of focusing on the building envelope before integrating renewables. Huber Engineered Woods’ products, including R-Zip sheathing, Rainscreen, and Liquid Flashing System, play a pivotal role. These materials create a thermal break, a practically waterproof exterior, and the potential for a 0ACH (zero air changes an hour or airtight) envelope. By leveraging industry expertise and readily available materials, the project sets a benchmark for the home-building industry.
Frank shared, “Our goal is to help a neighbor transition from being a renter to a homeowner in a house with very low ownership costs. Before we start building, we’ll create models to predict the environmental impact, and after the house is constructed, we’ll monitor its performance to ensure it meets our expectations. We’ll remain involved with the home for a period to make sure everything works well. Our design philosophy is all about simplicity. To explain it, we refer to Albert Einstein’s five levels of cognitive prowess: smart, intelligent, brilliant, genius, and simple.”
Get Involved and Make a Lasting Impact with Georgia Tech’s 2024 Solar Decathlon
If you’re eager to be a part of something truly transformative, here’s your opportunity. Your organization can play a pivotal role in our sustainable project, leaving an indelible mark on the future generation of building professionals. Join us, and together, we can bring Alair Homes’ tagline, “Living Better Starts Here,” to life. Your sponsorship can make a real difference that extends far beyond today. Together, we’ll shape a brighter future through innovation, collaboration, and a shared commitment to sustainable living.
Participating in the Design Challenge offers numerous benefits:
- Collegiate institutions gain recognition as producers of career-ready professionals with real-world skills.
- Students develop market-ready design skills, forge lasting connections with industry professionals, and join the global network of Solar Decathlete alumni.
- Faculty prepare students to implement creative solutions in the building industry, fostering connections with other faculty members and programs worldwide.
- Industry partners and sponsors gain international recognition, playing a transformative role in shaping the next generation of knowledgeable design professionals.
- Alumni maintain strong connections to a global professional network and acquire leadership skills through mentoring opportunities with current student teams.
Timeline
February 2024: Semifinal competition
April 19-21, 2024: Final competition
Ready to Join the Action?
Sponsor this transformative project and leave a lasting legacy in the world of building professionals. By joining us, you’re making a difference today and helping bring Alair Homes’ tagline to life: “Living Better Starts Here.”
If you’re not a sponsor but share our passion for creating a better world, we invite you to join our heartwarming journey. Discover why Alair Homes and our partners are unwavering in their commitment to providing better. Together, we’ll build a sustainable future where “Living Better Starts Here.”