SOLAR
SOLAR NEWS #1 OCTOBER 2013
SOLAR DECATHLON EUROPE 2014 a ‘must’ for all players and industries in sustainable housing and renewable energies.
INTERVIEW OF THE MONTH President of Qualibat, Alain Maugard leads the Scientific Counsel of Solar Decathlon Europe 2014. In your opinion, what makes the Solar Decathlon so different from other competitions? Alain Maugard : The Solar Decathlon is an original competition. First of all, the teams’ first mission is to manage the building operations from A to Z: conception, construction, functioning, including disassembly. Multidisciplinary teams are composed of young international students: architects, engineers, communication and marketing specialists. This Competition is the fruit of applied research and features real conditions and innovations. This positioning is quite original; like concept-cars, it leads us to concept-buildings!
What are the significant facts of this 2014 edition? Versailles’ choice as host city for Solar Decathlon Europe 2014 is no coincidence. Beyond the obvious reference to the Sun King, it is important to point out that the Castle was a very innovative building, with completely innovative architecture for its time, and it used revolutionary techniques such as water treatment. One must not forget that the Competition takes place within La Cité du Soleil®, a transitory yet sustainable site built within new alleys which were originally designed by Le Nôtre. Have the Competition rules changed or evolved? Indeed, 2014 is quite different from other Competitions. The Competition is no longer focused solely on individual solar houses but also on collective housing solutions as applied to dense urban areas. The objective is to respond to local demands by contextualizing prototypes accordingly with the country of
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origin – we are speaking here of climate and affordability. The stakes of retrofitting and mobility are core in this 2014 edition. What lessons can be learned from such a Competition? Once the Competition is over, we are planning to capitalize on all previous editions. We would like point out the trends, innovative ideas, and any leads that might help develop the future of energy transition. BBC, Bepos or positive energy housing – all of these points are viable; we still need to observe the public’s reaction to the ergonomics and viability of these houses, understand their expectations and fears… this is paramount in order for us to move forward. In the end, the human being is at the heart of our preoccupations - the everyday citizen, the city dweller or the citizen of the world - we are all responsible for our planet’s future.
Alain Maugard, president of Qualibat.
Saturday 28th June – This is the offical opening date. Come & Visit La Cité du Soleil® and the 20 zeroenergy prototypes in the estate of the Castle of Versailles! contact@solardecathlon2014.fr
www.solardecathlon2014.fr