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Our first challenge revolved around one of the two line sets being too short. A rapid-fire brainstorming session with approval from the architectural team members to move the two-zone condenser (outdoor) unit, also ground-mounted, resolved that conflict. Removing the wiring panel’s cover revealed another issue: the electrician did not fully understand that the incoming 220-volt single-phase would be inverted to simulated 200-volt three-phase and, therefore, a third “hot” wire was required in the two outgoing power-feeds to the indoor wall-mounted heads. He’d left the work site, but a volunteer was quickly recruited and, after a brief training session, he tackled the re-wiring and had it completed in record time!

Dinner went by the wayside, but Lois had packed a cooler with waters and snacks — more than enough to share with the hard workers on our Wisconsin HVAC inverter team — and this was not the first meal our young counterparts had missed during the construction dash towards the pending deadline. Miss your final approval-hour-deadline and your team sits out from the competition — all the while losing points — until the inspectors can reschedule and reinspect. The relief of having the two-zone Mitsubishi inverter heat pump installation completed was one less obstacle they’d need to overcome.

The night shift

Nighttime had set and the scene was naturally lit by moonlight. No slow-down in work, however, and the sounds of construction, as well as generator fumes, continued unabated. All things happen for a reason, and had we not stayed to work with Wisconsin, we’d have missed this night-scene of diligent team efforts. We strolled the center thoroughfare taking in the sights and attempted to take flash-free pictures using only the available light. Many of the students welcomed an opportunity to break with the crushing workload while giving us a brief description of their projects.

During the competition itself, the front and rear doors would be opened frequently to accommodate the thousands of visitors. The unusually cold wet weather put these mini-splits through their paces to combat both the cold blustery air pushing its way through opened doors while extracting high humidity tracked into the home via wet shoes.

When you took a good look around at the participants on those 20-teams, the volunteers, folks running the event, and, the thousands of international visitors, you’d be hard pressed to find any additional ethnic groups to add to the mix! People from all walks of life learning and working together while building teamwork skills they would never have obtained in a classroom setting; people from the four-corners of the globe engaged in animated discussions while queuing up in long lines; a smorgasbord of languages being spoken; and through it all: rain that did its best to dampen the spirit, drown the net-zero energy grid-connected decathlon effort; and keep crowds at bay due to cold wet weather.

No dice — the excitement that is the Solar Decathlon refused to yield to Mother Nature’s abuses, language barriers were overcome, the show was an unparalleled success, and in spite of constantly cloudy skies, the mini-grid on The Mall produced more power than it consumed!

And yet, in spite of the inclusive environment woven throughout this solar-themed event, each one of the 20-teams managed to incorporate influences from their home state’s cultures and environment. For example, Puerto Rico’s stunningly beautiful entry was not prepared for the early arrival of fall-like cloudy, damp, and chilly weather and had a tough time maintaining comfortable indoor temperatures.

“We constructed our home for our local climate with an emphasis on cross-ventilation and expansive glass to take advantage of natural cooling and the stunning views,” the students told us. “Our climate is much different and, as a result, our window and door frames don’t need to block energy-flow back home, but that’s been an issue we’re dealing with during this week’s cold weather.”

These homes were all grid-connected. Previous Solar Decathlons had presented off-grid challenges each team had to face and design for so that they could demonstrate solar’s ability to be self-sufficient.

“In today’s sophisticated energy grid, houses that use solar power can feed energy back into the power grid, eliminating the need for costly battery storage systems,” said Richard King, director of the Solar Decathlon, who is with DOE. “Imagine receiving a zero bill for electricity. These Solar Decathlon homes are showing us the way today.”

And, as expected, traditions continued from past years. For example, Virginia Tech’s team, once again, timed its arrival on The Mall to occur after nightfall — with their home ablaze with lights and music blaring! Talk about throwing down a gauntlet — yet all in good fun spirited competition. Some consternation regarding Germany’s unlimited budget — again. Seems there needs to be a separate category for teams without budget constraints and, over the past two years, most teams were faced with budget constraints brought on by the soured economy. Veterans of previous decathlons noted donations were either non-existent or had proven to be much more challenging than in 2007.

One more tradition: making new friends and running into past solar-friends while touring the Solar Decathlon homes. That led to an invite to be an advisor for a 2011 SD contest entry. Like a moth to a flame — how could anyone say no? It’s hard to describe how great it feels to work with these energetic and enthusiastic students, but the personal satisfaction knowing you’ve helped to a small degree when looking at the overall project is extremely gratifying. Paying it forward and I’ll wager each of them will one day return the favor by helping others attain their goals.