Gashostage.com

A project that began a decade ago to enhance radioactive waste operations has led Dr. David Hobbs into a variety of new fields, with exciting results.

A thin film of water more quickly solidifies gaseous carbon dioxide, according to scientists at DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory who are studying underground storage of the common pollutant.

Two remarkable pulsed-power machines used to test the nation’s defenses against atomic weapons have surpassed milestones at DOE’s Sandia National Laboratories: 4,000 firings, called ‘shots,’ on the Saturn accelerator and 9,000 shots on the HERMES III accelerator.

A group of scientists recently sandwiched two non-magnetic materials together and discovered a startling result: The layer where the two materials meet has both magnetic and superconducting regions’two properties that normally can’t co-exist.

DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory broke ground in August on a $34.5 million Advanced Protein Crystallization Facility (APCF) that will enable scientists from Illinois and around the world to produce, purify and characterize a wide range of proteins more rapidly and have a critical role in the development of important medical therapies.

Neutron scattering studies of “cobalt blue,” a compound prized by artists for its lustrous blue hue, are revealing unique magnetic characteristics that could answer questions about mysterious properties in other materials.

This past Sunday morning I boarded a shuttle headed towards West Potomac Park, site of this year’s Solar Decathlon competition. I wanted to experience the event, now in its 5th iteration, from the visitor’s perspective—so I grabbed a map of the Solar Village and joined a line of fellow sightseers.

Each house has personalized details–like Florida International’s etchings inscribed on the deck floor

I should note that D.C.’s quasi-monsoon season (relentless rain and humidity almost every day), has not dampened enthusiasm for the event. The Solar Village has been attracting a good amount of traffic (about 35,000 visitors came out to see the houses this past Saturday).

Despite persistently cloudy skies— the teams’ solar arrays were still generating a good amount of power. And, several students pointed out that several houses are collecting the abundant rainwater to replenish the greywater recycling systems for house landscaping needs.

Rainy days aside, getting to witness firsthand the ingenuity and creativity that went into the student’s houses, as well as on-the-spot reactions from the general public—was fascinating. Each house has unique characteristics that give it a personalized feel, but overall I noticed a few recurring design themes present (in addition to solar technology) in almost every house, including:

Lines at the Solar Village on Sunday

• Lights out: despite the cloudy skies I mentioned earlier, several houses on the day I visited maintained bright interiors without a single light on in the house. I credit expansive (yet insulated) windows and clever use of daylighting for this achievement
• Passive Design abounds: passive house principles—the use of design elements like natural ventilation, south-facing windows and overhang to reduce energy consumption was a mainstay.
• Not just solar: energy-efficiency was the buzzword of the day and, Energy Star-rated appliances and energy-efficient lighting were a given.

Inside Team Tidewater Virginia’s sunspace: in the summer it acts as a porch, in the winter it acts as a heat sink–absorbing and dispersing heat throughout the house

If you’re in the D.C. area, definitely schedule (public exhibit hours and dates here) sometime during your lunch break or weekend to take a guided tour of these innovative, unique and inspiring houses. And, if you’re following the competition from afar—stay actively engaged via SolarDecathlon.gov. There you’ll find video walkthroughs of the homes as well as daily tallies of team scores and standings.

So, you have my perspective on this fascinating event—share yours in the comments below.

Appalachian State team member talks to visitors

Erin Pierce is a communications specialist for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

This Friday marks the first day of Solar Decathlon 2011, an annual event that challenges collegiate teams—from the United States and around the world—to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive.

Amanda Crosby, right, and Belinda Dods of New Zealand celebrate placing the final screw on the deck of their house at Solar Decathlon 2011.

This week we’ve been highlighting the launch date of Solar Decathlon: Chris introduced us to the event and posted a video, and we re-posted a Solar Decathlon Technology Spotlight, which focuses on Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs). You can learn more about SIPs on Energysavers.gov.

We love Solar Decathlon because it shows how solar energy can work in the real world, using real houses built from scratch by the competing teams.

Are you planning to attend Solar Decathlon this year? If you can’t attend, are you interested in following them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Flickr?

Each week, you have the chance to share your thoughts on a question about energy efficiency or renewable energy for consumers. Please comment with your answers, and also feel free to respond to other comments.

Participants in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar
Decathlon 2011 have been working around the clock,
preparing their 19 solar homes for the September 23
opening in Washington, D.C.