Team Canada Solar Decathlon 2011

House and Team Welcomed Back by President Cannon

Alexandre Ste-Marie — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:15:51 +0000

Calgary – On Wednesday October 19, Canada’s Team at the 2011 Solar Decathlon was welcomed back at a reception organized by Dr. Elizabeth Cannon, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calgary. In this event, multiple influential community representatives, senior university administrators, sponsors and politicians including Wayne Cao, Alberta MLA and Deputy Speaker, representatives from Cenovus Energy, Titan Wall and Innotech Windows were present to recognize all the efforts the student team had to accomplish to compete in Washington, DC.

Dr. Cannon mentioned how “proud she was to have seen a UofC team compete in the Solar Decathlon, representing our University, our City and our Country”. “You made us proud! You made us part of the team and being able to be in Washington, DC with you was one of those life moments that I will always remember” exclaimed Vicki Reid from Cenovus while highlighting the future plans of the house in Calgary.

The TRTL – Technological Residence, Traditional Living will now be a permanent fixture of the University of Calgary campus helping research on renewable energy, sustainable materials and hopefully serving as a basis for the UofC bid in the 2013 US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon. Final reconstruction will start in the next weeks right by the Calgary Center for Innovative Technology on 32nd Avenue NW.

At the end of the reception some key contributors to the projects were recognized for their continued efforts and for going above and beyond the call of duty. To name a few: Loraine Fowlow, Karrie Horner, Kim Lawrence, Julie Phillips, Shawn Pardy, Perry Richards, Bob Maber, Reg & Rose Crowshoe.

Continue following us on this blog, Twitter @CenovusTRTL or on Facebook for updates on the final reconstruction!

Today’s Tweets October 3, 2011

Alexandre Ste-Marie — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 23:31:23 +0000

Are you following @CenovusTRTL on Twitter yet? Lots of updates every day as we are in Washington, DC competing in the 2011 @Solar_Decathlon!

Disassembly Update

Alexandre Ste-Marie — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 21:50:35 +0000

Curious to know how we’re disassembling our house in DC before shipping it back to Calgary? Here is a little update from our disassembly crew still in DC!

Today was the first official disassembly day (well, we started last night at 630 technically).
After an early morning start of 430am, you wouldn’t even recognize the house! In just a few short hours, the deck disappeared, house was packed and emptied, and we even got some floors sips up.

As its a bit ugly today, the roof work is slow but steady.

From Nichole Van Steenbergen – Title Sponsor Relations Manager

Today’s Tweets October 2, 2011

Alexandre Ste-Marie — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 23:31:29 +0000

Are you following @CenovusTRTL on Twitter yet? Lots of updates every day as we are in Washington, DC competing in the 2011 @Solar_Decathlon!

Reception at the Embassy of Canada

Julie.phillips — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 04:36:42 +0000

Special thank you to Minister Kevin O’Shea for hosting a great reception for the team on Thursday night.

The University of Calgary Solar Decathlon team poses in front of the Capitol at a special reception, hosted by Minister Kevin O'Shea at the Embassy of Canada in Washington, DC.

Canada’s solar house addresses real needs

Julie.phillips — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 02:44:17 +0000

Team seeks Top 10 finish entering final days of Solar Decathlon competition

September 30, 2011

By Julie Phillips

Click here for UToday story.

(Washington, DC) As the final results announcement looms closer, Canada’s Solar Decathlon team is hoping for a Top 10 finish and reflecting on the true value of what they have built – a practical, energy-efficient, appealing dwelling that addresses serious needs within Canada’s Aboriginal communities.

For University of Calgary student Chris Fry, the Cenovus TRTL home brings together two important areas of his research: culture and the environment. A student in the interdisciplinary Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Development program and member of the Kwanlin Dün First Nations (Whitehorse, Yukon), Fry believes his program and the solar home project reflect a new appreciation of traditional knowledge for contemporary sustainable applications.

Fry first got involved with the project as co-chair of the cultural advisory group, consulting on aspects of partnering with First Nations communities and bringing together community members to provide culturally relevant input to the home design. He ultimately found himself helping with construction, cooking a First Nations-themed feast in Washington, and leading public tours of the home at the Solar Decathlon.

“We wanted to share Canadian First Nations culture internationally and we did that,” he said. “We created an efficient home that is affordable and raises awareness of effectiveness of renewable energy. We definitely achieved our objectives.” As of Wednesday, the team’s message had reached 12,525 visitors to the home – the highest volume of any house on the Mall.

Jim Campbell, VP Government Relations from Cenovus Energy and MBA graduate (’92) from the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary, was one of those visitors to the site this week. Earlier this year, Cenovus announced a $600,000 donation to the project, becoming its title sponsor.

“We are looking at new technologies and new ideas in innovation and sustainability,” said Vicki Reid, Manager of Community Affairs at Cenovus, who joined Campbell to support the team. “We’re thinking long-term about sustainability and health of the province so we can do good business,” she said.

The sponsorship involved more than just ‘chequebook philanthropy’, added Reid, explaining that the Cenovus team visited the construction site in Calgary regularly and was involved throughout the process. “We really feel like we’re part of the team.”

Results from the communications jury will be announced at 2:30 pm today, and results from the market appeal category come tomorrow as part of the final results announcement. The house will be open for tours from 10 am to 2 pm Friday and 10 am to 5:30 pm on the weekend.

Please vote Canada’s TRTL home for People’s Choice Award until 5 pm MST today: http://www.solardecathlon.gov/poll/pca/pca_register.php. The award will be announced tomorrow at a special event for all Solar Decathlon competitors.

Thursday recap

The Canadian team placed 10^th in the engineering competition, and currently sits in 11^th place overall. On Thursday evening, Canada’s Solar Decathlon team enjoyed a special reception at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC hosted by Minister Kevin O’Shea.

Today’s Tweets October 1, 2011

Alexandre Ste-Marie — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 23:31:32 +0000

Are you following @CenovusTRTL on Twitter yet? Lots of updates every day as we are in Washington, DC competing in the 2011 @Solar_Decathlon! CenovusTRTL: New story on #SD2011 Canada’s Blog: Today’s Tweets September 30, 201 http://t.co/jiGr7Nix
Read the rest of this entry. →

Today’s Tweets September 30, 2011

Alexandre Ste-Marie — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 23:36:11 +0000

Are you following @CenovusTRTL on Twitter yet? Lots of updates every day as we are in Washington, DC competing in the 2011 @Solar_Decathlon!

Canada’s solar home truly a collaborative effort

Julie.phillips — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 06:22:05 +0000

University of Calgary Solar Decathlon entry sits in Top 10 mid-competition

September 29, 2011

By Julie Phillips

Read UToday story here.

(Washington, DC) When the University of Calgary team first proposed their home for the 2011 Solar Decathlon two years ago, their goal was not only to design an energy-efficient, net-zero home, but also to form an inclusive, high-functioning team. Today, with the home currently placed among the top 10 entries, team members feel satisfied that they have achieved that goal.

Minister Kevin O'Shea from the Canadian Embassy visited the home on Wednesday and will host a reception for the team Thursday night at the Embassy.

“Architects often design a structure independently and then hand it off to engineers to build,” said Shalisha Senkow, a Master of Architecture candidate on the Canadian team since day one. “When we started this project, we decided that there would be an architectand an engineer at the table at all times.”

In fact, the team brought together students from the faculties of engineering, environmental design, business, and a special cross-disciplinary Master of Science program in sustainable energy development. The result is a cohesive project that meshes the practical, mechanical aspects of the solar house with an innovative design.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Solar Decathlon architecture competition results were announced and, while the University of Calgary team didn’t as well as they hoped, they still sit in the top 10 as the competition heads into its final days. Overall results will be announced this Saturday.

University of Calgary students Sarah Bramley and Carolyn Parker hosted the team’s second dinner party inside the home Wednesday night – the last peer-juried evaluation in the competition. Students from China, Belgium, and the University of Maryland, as well as two VIP guests – Lukas Gudinskas from the Embassy of Canada and Jim Campbell, VP of Government Relations for Cenovus Energy– enjoyed a feast of maple-glazed ribs, wild rice, vegetables, and a classic Canadian dessert: Nanaimo bars.

Minister Kevin O’Shea from the Canadian Embassy in Washington also visited the home on Wednesday to greet the team in advance of a special reception at the Embassy tonight. In addition to showing interest in the home’s cultural and technical features, he kindly volunteered a colleague to help the team tear down the house next week.

Team members Sarah Bramley (left) and Carolyn Parker break out Canada's secret weapon - maple syrup - as they prepare to host dinner in the Cenovus TRTL Wednesday evening.

Looking ahead

Guests from Cenovus Energy – the team’s title sponsor – will visit the home this morning followed by more public tours from 10 am to 2 pm. Results from the engineering jury will be announced at 2:30 pm and this evening, the team will attend a reception hosted by Minister Kevin O’Shea at the Embassy of Canada.

Results announcements continue this week: communications on Friday afternoon and market appeal on Saturday as part of the overall competition awards ceremony at 2:30 pm ET. The house will be open to the public Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5:30 pm. Starting Sunday night, the team will have four days to disassemble the home, which took a week to build.

Today’s Tweets September 29, 2011

Alexandre Ste-Marie — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 23:30:52 +0000

Are you following @CenovusTRTL on Twitter yet? Lots of updates every day as we are in Washington, DC competing in the 2011 @Solar_Decathlon!