A Place in the Sun: Cornell Solar House Auction April 7

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the auction of Cornell University's Solar Decathlon House, which is a solar-powered home that won second place in a 2005 competition. Participants explore various aspects of solar energy, the design and practicality of the house, and broader implications for self-sufficiency and climate considerations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express concerns about the durability of the solar panels, suggesting they may be vulnerable to extreme weather conditions like hurricanes.
  • There is speculation about the suitability of the solar house's design for different geographical locations, with one participant questioning if it is more appropriate for areas with less severe weather.
  • Another participant shares their experience with their own solar-powered home, emphasizing self-sufficiency and the potential for using renewable resources like wood for heating.
  • One participant suggests that the angle of the solar panels could be adjustable to optimize sunlight exposure and mitigate damage during storms.
  • There is a discussion about the relationship between sunlight intensity and hurricane-prone areas, with a participant noting that regions with the most sunlight may not typically experience hurricanes.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of opinions regarding the practicality and resilience of the solar house design. Concerns about weather vulnerability and geographical suitability are raised, indicating that multiple competing views remain without consensus.

Contextual Notes

Participants' comments reflect varying assumptions about the environmental conditions suitable for solar energy use and the implications of self-sufficiency in energy consumption. The discussion does not resolve these assumptions or the technical details of the solar house's design.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in solar energy, sustainable living, architectural design, and climate resilience may find this discussion relevant.

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Cornell's award-winning solar house to be auctioned April 7
By Susan S. Lang

To give everyone an equal chance for a place in the sun, Cornell University will hold a public auction to sell off its Solar Decathlon House, second-place winner in the U.S. Department of Energy's 2005 international competition. The auction for the solar-powered, 640-square-foot home will begin Friday, April 7, at 12:05 p.m. on the Ag Quad, where the house is temporarily on display.

Open house is slated for April 1 and 2, 1 to 3 p.m., as well as Friday, April 7, 10 a.m. to noon, just before the sale.

The 2007 Solar Decathlon Team, which is starting to design its house for the 2007 competition in Washington, D.C., will sponsor a reception in the solar house immediately after the auction.
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/March06/solar.house.auction.ssl.html
 
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Looks like those solar panels will rip right off in a hurricane. Very small too.
 
Mayhap those are for use in Nevada.
 
BobK said:
Looks like those solar panels will rip right off in a hurricane. Very small too.
I am guessing angle can be adjusted depending on a position of the sun. During a hurricane panels can be lowered to horizontal position.
 
Nice, but I already have a solar-powered house. It's a small (~1000 ft2) well-insulated log home with a wood stove and an oil furnace as a backup. The winter has been warmer that usual, but still, it's pretty nice to be able to heat your house on only 3 cords of wood and practically no oil. I have over 8 acres of solar-powered woodlot, and can probably heat this place as long as I live by cutting and burning only dead or damaged trees. I cut up a diseased white ash a couple of days ago and got close to 2/3 cord of wood for next winter, and there's a whole lot more where that came from. We can be a whole lot more self-sufficient as a species if we are willing to disperse instead of concentrating our populations, but I don't see that happening.
 
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Aren't the areas that receive the most intense sunlight in pretty non-hurricaney areas of the country in the US? :)