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All 20 teams participating in the Solar Decathlon 2013 released renderings of the solar homes they will build for this international competition coming to the Orange County Great Park in October. The following collegiate teams will compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013:
The featured photo is from the entry by Kentucky/Indiana: University of Louisville, Ball State University and University of Kentucky's Solar Decathlon 2013 House Rendering. To view all 20 entries, click on this link The Orange County Great Park is located off the 405 or 5 Freeways at Sand Canyon and Marine Way in Irvine. Admission to most park events is free; parking for special events is $10. For more information call (866) 829.3829.
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The Foundation for the Great Park’s annual fundraising gala – Summer Solstice Celebration – highlights the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon 2013 & Energy XPO (SD/XPO) that is coming to the Great Park October 3-13, 2013. Summer Solstice Celebration promises to be a beautiful evening at the Orange County Great Park. This event will both celebrate the Summer Solstice and recognize Foundation Chair, Marian Bergeson, for her leadership in fulfilling the education mission of the Great Park. Net proceeds from the event will benefit education programs of the Solar Decathlon 2013 & Energy XPO. Recognizing the tremendous impact the Solar Decathlon 2013 & Energy XPO will have on the entire Southern California region, the Foundation for the Great Park's Board of Directors is supporting education programs to be featured at the SD/XPO event. In collaboration with Great Park staff, a Youth + Children's Education Task Team was created to support a vision for K-12 education programs at XPO. The result of this engagement is the Powerful Ideas Classroom, which provides opportunities during SD/XPO for children and youth to be inspired about science, engineering, architecture and energy. A Children's Solar Village presented by Discovery Science Center will be a central element of this program. Additional programs are now under consideration for inclusion in the Powerful Ideas Classroom. More recently, the Foundation expanded its commitment of education programming at SD/XPO with a pledge of support as the title sponsor of the Powerful Ideas Symposium at the SD/XPO event. We are excited to partner with the Orange County Great Park on this educational opportunity that will introduce innovative energy themes, ideas and solutions for individuals and families, providing a memorable learning experience for all! Please join us in supporting these education programs at the Great Park. All proceeds from Summer Solstice Celebration benefit the Powerful Ideas Classroom and Powerful Ideas Symposium of the Solar Decathlon 2013 and Energy XPO taking place at the Orange County Great Park in October. To purchase tickets for the Summer Solstice Celebration, please visit SummerSolsticeOC.com
Recognizing the tremendous impact this event will have on the entire Southern California region, the Foundation for the Great Park is taking a leadership role in supporting education programs to be featured throughout Solar Decathlon/XPO 2013. An XPO Youth+Children Task Team (chaired by Marian Bergeson) was formed to connect community education provider organizations and local school districts to develop interactive, hands-on educational programs and experiences for K-12 students in a program called the “Powerful Ideas Classroom” to be featured throughout Solar Decathlon/XPO 2013. A Powerful Ideas Symposium will offer additional opportunities for adults to gain practical information about relevant clean, renewable energy topics. The Foundation committed support for this important program last Fall, hiring the educational consultant to develop the "Powerful Ideas Classroom" program. Over the next nine months, we will be deeply engaged in activities to ensure implementation of the best possible “Powerful Ideas Classroom” for K-12 students who visit the Solar Decathlon/XPO 2013. The Powerful Ideas Classroom will provide opportunities throughout the XPO for preschool through high school students to be inspired and get excited about science, engineering, architecture and energy. These educational opportunities will focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) activities and lessons. Community program providers like PBS/SoCal, Discovery Science Center, Pretend City, Vital Link, The Energy Coalition and others have been invited to provide exciting programs supporting these themes. Working in collaboration with the Department of Energy and City of Irvine, the Foundation is committed to moving the "Powerful Ideas Classroom" from concept to reality. The Foundation for the Great Park continues its vital role of generating countywide public support and private contributions for the Orange County Great Park. The Great Park provides a wealth of opportunity for the entire community. At the Foundation we believe that the Great Park vision evolves from the promise that healthy communities and happy families will thrive with a Great Park growing in their midst.
Foundation Hosts Student Teams On a crisp, clear Friday evening, the Foundation for the Great Park hosted the Solar Decathlon student teams for an orientation dinner at the Orange County Great Park. Attended by nearly 300 students, representing 20 collegiate teams competing in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013, the orientation dinner was marked by a spirit of enthusiasm. The arrival of the students marks a significant milestone in the planning efforts for the event, which will attract worldwide attention to Irvine and Orange County. Foundation Vice Chair, Janet Ray, commented, "The Foundation is so pleased to welcome the students representing the 20 competing teams and we wish them all the best as they prepare to build their entries for Solar Decathlon 2013." The Solar Decathlon challenges 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. Open to the public and free of charge, the Solar Decathlon enables visitors to tour the houses, gather ideas to use in their own homes, and learn how energy-saving features can help them save money today. "This is the first time the Solar Decathlon will be held outside of Washington, D.C.," said Richard King, Director of Solar Decathlon for the U.S. Department of Energy. "We are so excited to be in California! The Solar Decathlon 2013 teams are some of the most impressive we have seen to date. We look forward to introducing the students to the Great Park this weekend and to watching their innovations come to life in Irvine this fall." About Solar Decathlon 2013 Public hours will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily: Learn more about the 2013 teams at the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathalon website.
Coming in 2013 to the The new 4,762-square-foot Visitors Center Pavilion will be located near the Great Park Balloon. It will feature a large lobby, restroom facilities, retail area, and office space. Approximately 35 tons of structural steel will be used in the construction of the Visitors Center Pavilion as well as 1,000 tons of El Toro Stone, which are pieces of the demolished concrete runways from the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. The runway pieces will be used to create a gabion wall on the south side of the facility. Also currently under construction at the Great Park are other new features:
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