Possibly one of the biggest issues the public finds with solar paneling is that there’s no feasible, effective way to apply it to their daily lives. The Solar Decathalon contest proves them wrong—as college students compete to design and build the most energy efficient house, using solar paneling wherever possible. The houses were to be judged in 10 different categories, including aesthetic appeal, but mostly on how much electricity and energy was spent, and what the house managed to produce on its own. Virginia Tech’s team’s house took about 20 kilowatt hours off the energy grid, but then managed to pump about 60 kilowatt hours back, proving that solar paneling does more than just even itself out after a long stretch of time. This 10-day event prompts students to realize that they don’t have to give up their lifestyles to live in an energy-efficient manner.
This article convicted me about the costliness of solar paneling. I had always written off solar panels and solar energy as non-feasible for “real,” normal life, and as way too expensive to actually benefit electricity bills. But with taking a look at what college students (not expert engineers, college students!) can do with a few thousand dollars and a few weeks to think innovatively. Seeing the kinds of houses a few dozen teams came up with in a few days opens up the realm of possibilities for the technology they could design for houses now, even if it was just to knock a few dollars off the energy bill instead of trying to wipe it out completely. What people need to remember is they have to keep realistic goals, and move in little steps when it comes to energy conservation, and when it comes to the whole “going green” phenomenon. We can’t undo centuries of damage in a day, we can’t fix all of the problems in a single day. Baby steps are the way we have to start, because only with baby steps will we see how easy it is to implement energy-conscious living into our lives. Seeing the kinds of houses the college students designed makes me excited to see the house market in a few years, especially as architects and construction companies realize how much they will benefit by implementing in eco-friendly elements. Also, I think the entire nation would benefit from more contests like the Solar Decathalon, as they would serve as constant reminders to how easy, simple, and feasible things like solar paneling, recycling, and conservation can be to add into our lives and housing, and how much they benefit us.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This is really interesting! I had no idea people did things like solar decathalons. This really convinces the people who need to see in order to believe, since so few people have solar panels and really "green" houses nobody really knows how effective and helpful they can be. I think that a main problem with people is that they don't want to spend the extra money initially. What companies really need to do is advertise how much money they will save and how it will help them in the long run. Many people only think about the short term consequences, which is spending a little extra money on solar panels.
ReplyDeletei always thought solar panels were kind of for show and didn't help much unless there were many of them. It was like to say im "green," are you? But this is great to hear. After reading this, people will see that it is possible to be energy efficient and retain the same life style as before. Not only would this help the environment but it will save them money. So it only makes sense to start with changes like these.
ReplyDelete