Green news

For years the National Mall in Washington, D.C. has served as a place where the citizens of this country can gather to show what matters to them, what is most significant in their lives. Not only has it hosted protests, rallies and celebrations, but for the past eight years it has also been host to the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

If you’re a Middlebury student and still don’t know what the Solar Decathlon is at this point in time, I suggest taking a trip down to the old farmhouse near the Recycling Center. For the past two years, Middlebury students have put countless hours into the design, construction and implementation of a completely solar-powered home. Middlebury is just one of the many student teams from around the world competing in the Solar Decathlon, or as Ben Wessel ’11 describes it, “the Superbowl of science fairs.”

During each Solar Decathlon, a number of highly efficient, solar-powered homes are displayed on the National Mall for several weeks, during which they are judged and tested by experts in the field. People gather at the Mall from all over the world to see the incredible work these students have put forth and to learn about clean energy solutions for their own homes.

In January, however, the U.S. Department of Energy threw the competitors a fastball. They released a statement that the Solar Decathlon 2011 would not, in fact, take place on the National Mall, but that they were instead trying to find alternative venues. Apparently, this decision was made in an effort to restore and preserve the National Mall and its historic significance. Despite its good intentions, people were outraged. In an op-ed that appeared in Grist’s online magazine, Wessel voiced his opinions on this matter.

“By placing the latest in clean energy technology right in the heart of the nation's capital, the Solar Decathlon is an incredibly effective advocacy and public education tool — illustrating the potential for a solar energy revolution and the importance of passing laws that make it easier for folks to ‘green’ their homes,” Wessel wrote.

Part of the significance of the Solar Decathlon rests in the fact that it takes place in such a publicly prominent and politically significant place. It wouldn’t bring the same message to the capitol were it not hosted on the National Mall.

After a month of hard work, editorials and petitioning to get the Solar Decathlon back on the Mall, Middlebury students — as well as students from other competing institutions — were relieved to hear that the U.S. Department of Energy released a follow up statement with plans for a new site. The Solar Decathlon 2011 will take place at the National Mall’s West Potomac Park, on the banks of the Potomac River along the path between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. Just south of the new Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial, the event will be housed on the peninsula between the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and the Potomac River.

“Keeping the competition on the National Mall property allows the students to proceed with their existing home designs, specifically tailored for Washington’s latitude, temperature and humidity conditions,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu. “The West Potomac site is in close proximity to a number of attractions and will provide an ideal stage to highlight clean energy solutions for thousands of public visitors.”