Student Achievements

“7th place finish in the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon Competition”

ECE Students play important role in Cornell's impressive 7th place finish in the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon competition.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon's website, "The Solar Decathlon challenges 20 college teams from around the globe in 10 contests to design, build, and operate the most livable, energy-efficient, and completely solar-powered house. Solar Decathlon houses must power all the home energy needs of a typical family using only the power of the sun. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends aesthetics and modern conveniences with maximum energy production and optimal efficiency. The first Solar Decathlon was held in 2002; the competition has since occurred biennially in 2005 and 2007."

The final judging competition this year took place October 9-13 & 15-18, 2009, on the National Mall in Washington, DC . [read more]

Congressman Michael Arcuri, center, poses for a photo with Cornell University team members next to their solar-powered house during the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009.
(Credit: Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon)