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Bamboo and Solar Make Appealing Chinese Decathlon Entry

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China’s entry in the 2010 Solar Decathlon, which is to be held in Madrid this year, combines a traditional green-building material, bamboo, with cutting edge 21st century clean energy from solar power.

The charming reference to ancient Chinese Architectural styling in the gently tilted-up roof does not reduce its effectiveness in supplying all the electricity the house would need – with a generous 9 KW solar system on a relatively small roof.

Just completed after six months work by the students at Tongji University, the entry has just been disassembled and shipped to Spain for the European Solar Decathlon, where it will be reassembled.

Over a one week period, all the entries will be monitored for their energy production and their ability to graciously sustain a lifestyle within each solar dwelling for between three and six students – including a dinner for eight as part of the week’s activities.

Each entry is judged on architectural design, engineering and structure, solar power system, balance of power energy, industrial prospects, innovation, sustainability, and 10 other indexes.

Although begun in the states, and funded by the US Department of Energy, this year Energy Secretary Steven Chu will travel to participate in the first Solar Decathlon to be held in Spain; perhaps appropriately, as the country has rapidly moved to global leadership in solar power.

Images: Tongji University
Source: Ecofriend