U.S. Department of Energy Selects Baker as Juror for 2013 Solar Decathlon

Jul 08, 2013

In July 2013, it was officially announced by the U.S. Department of Energy in association with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory that award-winning custom home designer/builder, Brian Baker of Orefield, PA, was selected as one of twelve jurors in the renown U.S Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013.
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 first Solar Decathlon was held in 2002; the competition has since occurred biennially in 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011.
The next event will take place October 3-13, 2013, at Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California, and the competition houses will be open to visitors on eight days over two weekends.  Open to the public free of charge, the Solar Decathlon gives visitors the opportunity to tour the houses, gather ideas to use in their own homes, and learn how energy-saving features can help them save money today.
The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon invites university teams from across the globe to compete in ten contests including four contests that rely on three-person juries to determine their results.  These juries are composed of individuals at the top of their respective professions who bring academic excellence and practical, in-the-field experience to the competition.  Using objective and subjective measures to evaluate the team houses, the jurors assign points that determine each team’s score and standing in the following four contest categories: Architecture, Communications, Engineering, and Market Appeal.  Brian Baker was selected as one of three Market Appeal jurors for the Solar Decathlon 2013.
“It certainly is a great honor,” said Brian Baker, “to be selected to participate in such a prolific event where bright and creative college students from around the world are not only envisioning and crafting truly innovative homes, they are also helping to further advance industry standards through the blending of energy-efficient, high-performance design strategies with stunning architecture – something our company strives to deliver with each project we undertake.  It is also exciting to know that these competition homes, or components of them, will likely become more commonplace in residential construction at some point in the near future.”
To learn more about the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013, please go here: http://www.solardecathlon.gov.