Blackboard2011 Solar Decathlon Competition
Four universities from the state of Florida collaborated and competed in the 2011 Solar Decathlon Competition held in Washington, D.C. Team Florida, formed by FSU, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of South Florida, designed and built FLeX House their entrant in the biennial competition. FSU's Justin Vandenbroeck, a junior in industrial and manufacturing at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, was on the FSU team, volunteering to design the photovoltaic solar panel system while working and going to school.
"I reached out to the FSU team about a year and a half ago," relates Vandenbroeck. "I was intrigued when my boss at a solar panel integration company here in Tallahassee told me about the event and encouraged me to get involved. When I called to volunteer my help, the house was still in the preliminary design stage and they had not done their solar yet, so I told them I would like to take responsibility for the house's solar system."
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon is an award-winning program that challenges collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. The 2011 event took place this year at the National Mall's West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., Sept. 23-Oct. 2, 2011.
Vandenbroeck's belief in the viability of solar energy is even stronger now than before the decathlon and he has adopted for his own the primary goal of the Solar Decathlon: To make a difference in the way houses are built. Vandenbroeck worked closely with his adviser Justin Kramer and with Jon Pandolfini, a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering, who did the HVAC mechanical design for the house.
Vandenbroeck also volunteered to find corporate support. "I reached out to a photovoltaic company called Solar World," said Vandenbroeck, "mainly because they handle every step of the solar panel manufacturing process and are located here in the US. It's very rare to find a vertically integrated company any where these days." It is more common for solar panel manufacturers to put together their panels from parts made by other solar panel manufacturers from around the world, most notably from China.
Vandenbroeck added, "When I told Solar World about the solar decathlon event they were very interested. After a few weeks discussing where they could best help us, they offered a $25K event sponsorship and then donated solar panels, inverters and advisers to help us with design and installation. They also offered to fly team members to their headquarters in Hillsboro, Oregon, which is how Justin Kramer and myself were able to meet with them personally. I was offered a summer internship from this meeting and that's where I was this past summer (2011). It was one of many experiences that have changed my life."
The experiences that Vandenbroeck has had the last year and a half working on Team Florida's zero-energy house have shown him he could have a challenging and satisfying career in the solar energy industry. Between his work with a local solar panel integration company, his own solar company and finishing his undergraduate degree, Vandenbroeck sees his next steps towards a career in solar energy clearly. He hopes to pursue a professional science masters degree (PSM) in Solar Energy Engineering & Commercialization from Arizona State University (ASU), which will give his considerable skills, and experience added marketability.
Now that the Solar Decathlon 2011 is over, the FLeX House will return to the University of South Florida's Tampa campus, where it will become the Zero Energy House Learning Center for the Tampa Bay area. In addition, FLeX House will be a living laboratory for testing emerging technologies, sustainable building materials, and efficient systems for use in the Florida house of the future.
