CU Student Promotes Use of Renewable Energy Through Solar Decathlon

During the year and a half he spent tracking salmon migration in the Pacific Northwest, Jeff Lyng saw first-hand the ecological consequences of large-scale hydroelectric dams. It was then that he decided to do something about it.

Now a graduate student in the Building Systems Program in civil engineering at CU-Boulder, Jeff is promoting the use of renewable energy and petroleum-alternative building materials as project manager for the CU Solar Decathlon team.

CU is one of 18 university teams competing in the U.S. Department of Energy’s second international challenge to design, build, and operate the best solar-powered home on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.*

The CU team, which won the first-place trophy in the first DOE competition in 2002, is developing a new building system from curbside wastepaper and soy for the second solar home competition.  The team plans to demonstrate the viability of environmentally conscious and energy-efficient solutions for today's American lifestyle.

“I firmly believe in the mission and vision of the Solar Decathlon competition,” Jeff says. “Serving as the project manager for the 2005 CU Solar Decathlon team continues to be an honor for me.”

The CU home is built from strong, durable construction alternatives to petroleum-based building materials, including recycled wood, paper, and agricultural byproducts. The cost-efficient home will use solar energy for heating, cooling, lighting, hot water, and all other electrical needs. The home also will power an electric car, which is included as part of the competition.

About 30 undergraduate and graduate architecture and engineering students are collaborating on the project. CU faculty members Julee Herdt of architecture and Michael Brandemuehl of engineering serve as advisors.

*Note: CU students subsequently took first-place in the 2005 Solar Decathlon, marking their second consecutive victory in this international competition. For more information about CU's outstanding Solar Decathlon team, visit http://solar.colorado.edu.

Ashley Moore Aerospace Scholarship Jeff Lyng Building Systems// Solar Decathlon Brad Klingenberg Applied Mathematics Contest Candace Vaughn Chemical Engineering Co-op Brian Stephens- Hotopp Environmental Engineering Maria Belmonte- Rivas Aerospace Engineering