Thursday, October 8, 2009

TEAM BeauSoleil: Day 1 of Competition

TEAM BeauSoleil
UL Lafayette's TEAM BeauSoleil
TEAM BeauSoleil from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette opened the competition of the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon with a load of dishes and a load of laundry.

The team was one of nine that qualified to compete in the first day’s tests. Teams had to pass all inspections Wednesday night to qualify. TEAM BeauSoleil is among 20 teams this year including Cornell, the Ohio State, Virginia Tech and the 2007 winner Technische Universitat Darmstadt from Germany.

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu cut the ceremonial ribbon, marking the start of the 2009 event.

“Competitions like these bring out the best in students,” Chu said. “We hope they will take away what they’ve learned for their careers and their lives.”

TEAM BeauSoleil is the only Louisiana team to ever compete in the Solar Decathlon, which is held every two years. It’s made up of students all from UL Lafayette and has the same dedicated core since the project’s inception. The students completed 90 percent of the home’s construction, a unique aspect of the team.

“It’s been a busy day, but I think we did well,” said Dr. Geoff Gjertson, faculty leader for TEAM BeauSoleil. “Tomorrow the juries will be entering the homes for judging. This will continue throughout the competition.”

The team welcomed a wave of visitors to the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home after the opening ceremony including UL Lafayette President Dr. Joseph Savoie.

“It’s amazing to see the talent of these students. For two years now, they’ve been designing, building, fundraising and working hard. They deserve to be here on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.,” said Savoie.

The BeauSoleil home reflects key elements of Louisiana's rich culture, including its world-famous Cajun cooking. At the same time, it represents an architectural heritage that developed after Acadians, who were exiled from Nova Scotia by the British in the 1700s, settled in south Louisiana. The result is a simple, modest, but highly functional 800-square-foot structure.

It will be part of the Solar Village on the National Mall until Oct. 18. Public tours start Oct. 9 and continue through Oct. 13 and on Oct. 15 – 18. There are no tours on Oct. 14.

Follow TEAM BeauSoleil at www.beausoleilhome.org.

1 comment:

  1. I bringing my son 9yrs old on Wed morning to see DC and stop by the house(s) on Thur the 15th and Friday the 16th. Tbush 95

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