Back To The Grind

Congratulations to all of our team members for making it through the first day of classes for winter 2013! Work on the project will commence tomorrow afternoon with our first general meeting of the term. 

 

 

A Fruitful Winter Break

Not only have the last four weeks of winter break been rejuvenating, refreshing, and relaxing, but they have also been extremely productive and successful for the SCU 2013 Solar Decathlon team. We have managed to complete and publish our first-ever animated walkthrough of the Radiant House, something that is a huge step for our team.

Our animated walkthrough can be used in many different ways; for example to summarize all of our hard work and progress thus far and to update and educate our audience about our current plans and aspirations for our house.

This three minute video was made possible by the collaboration of four Santa Clara team members who dedicated some of their break to this project. Craig Carlson (Head of Architecture) created the animation, Brian Grau (Head of Public Relations) wrote the script, Beth Avon (Health and Safety Officer) narrated the video, and JP Allport (Video Contributor) put it all together.

Please take a moment to check out our brand new animated walkthrough at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=9Zkz3iqfq9A, and feel free to leave any comments or suggestions!

By Samantha M.

Looking To Have A Sustainable Holiday Season This Year?

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and the SCU 2013 Solar Decathlon Team is working hard to promote sustainability during the upcoming weeks. Follow these tips and your holiday season will be cheaper, easier, and much more sustainable!

Gifts

Look for locally made ones: greenhouse emissions and global warming is added to by the transportation of products. Local craft fairs and shops are a great place to find gifts that come without the added cost and environmental impact due to transportation.

Look for gifts that were made from recycled materials.

Newspaper: try to wrap all presents in newspaper rather than store-bought wrapping paper–this saves money, energy, and time!

Lights

LED: use LED lights to decorate the house/christmas tree: uses up to 95% less energy than traditional holiday bulbs and costs a fraction of the price.

Christmas Tree

Real>Plastic: buy a real Christmas tree rather than a plastic one–real trees are the more sustainable choice because plastic trees are made of petroleum products and are usually sent to landfills after one or two uses. On the other hand, live trees contribute to air quality while growing, and the majority are recycled into mulch.

Holiday Cards

Homemade: make your own homemade holiday cards rather than buying them from the convenience store! This saves energy and money, and makes the card much more personal!

We hope you keep these tips in mind while preparing for the holidays, we appreciate your efforts in saving the planet!

“How To Have A “Green” Christmas.” Eartheasy: Solutions for Sustainable Living. N.p., 2012. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. <http://eartheasy.com/give_sustainchristmas.htm>.

By Samantha M.

The November Newsletter Is Out!

Check out the newsletter for this month, detailing some of the awesome things that our team has been up to over the last few weeks. 

link: http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=0b5b0b99a3dffeb402c9b4dd6&id=36cd787322&e=9a17739d46

Our November Newsletter Comes Out In…

…12 hours! Who’s excited?! Sign up for a quick and easy way to stay in tune with the newest developments of the SCU 2013 Solar Decathlon house by emailing samantha_macario@yahoo.com to be added onto the subscriber list! We’d love to keep you updated with our progress!

 

November 2012 Newsletter Coming Out Soon!

Did you know that we have a monthly newsletter? Our November newsletter comes out in a few short days! If you would like to receive our newsletter right to your inbox, you can sign up on our website or email samantha_macario@yahoo.com. On our website you can also read all the previous newsletters or click here to read our October newsletter.

Look out, San Jose… Santa Clara Solar Decathlon is coming to you!

Ethics and engineering are coming together to coordinate a series of off-site outreach programs for 2013 that will be visiting different community hotspots like high schools, community colleges, and even senior centers!  Each program will be tailored to its audience and will include a few fun activities that bring the message of sustainability home.  We’re coming to talk about how engineers of all kinds are working together to create a new style of living — one that incorporates computer technology, new energy forms, and unique building strategies — all without sacrificing modern comforts.  In fact, the Solar houses might just be the most comfortable houses you’ve ever experienced, from the “smart” water heaters that sense when you’re in the room to the big outdoor living and entertaining space.  Learn how to take advantage of California’s climate, while also learning how to take advantage of a burgeoning new industry.

 

Too pricey?  Too difficult?  Too weird-looking?  Too dorky?

 

Let us come talk to you about why solar energy is none of those things!  There is technology out there — usable and fully developed — that we used to faked in movies when we were just kids.  Green engineering is a fascinating field, and Santa Clara is at the forefront of making it worthwhile for every community.  It might start with solar, but our project ends with you, the people around us.  If you’re wondering what career opportunities are out there, or what you can do to lower your family’s utility bills and make your home, your neighborhood, and your school a better place, we have ways to help.  

 

The only thing Santa Clara likes better than local dialogue is learning from our surroundings.  Do you have ideas about how to meet energy challenges?  Does your family or your school already use techniques that save energy?  Do you have a message about sustainable living that you think your peers ought to know?  

 

This is a call to step up and share, so that we all can move forward!  From student governments to garage bands, look out because here we come, bringing the future into the present. 

 

 

By Missy G.

Check Out Our October Newsletter!

The team launched the first of our monthly newsletters on October 31st, summarizing our progress and notifying the public about how to get involved. Take a moment to catch up on what we were up to during the month of October: http://us5.campaign-archive1.com/?u=0b5b0b99a3dffeb402c9b4dd6&id=3b9024b78e. And stay tuned for our second newsletter, which will be sent out at the end of November!

Would you like to be added to the newsletter subscribers list? If so, send a quick email to samantha_macario@yahoo.com, and she’ll make sure you get the monthly newsletter from here on out!

Fantastic News!

 

 

The president of Santa Clara University, Father Eng, S.J., has been so generous as to donate $50,000 to the project! We are so grateful for his support, and plan to continue keeping him updated on the progress of our house. We hope to make him proud by placing well in the 2013 competition. 

Interested in also contributing to the SCU 2013 Solar Decathlon project? Email jaydubashi@gmail.com.

We Have Hired Ethicists!

Update: the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University is sponsoring two student ethicists  to help us make sure that we are making the best ethical decisions that we can! Their names are Allie and Missy, and they are both extremely excited to offer their insight to help make our house the best that it can be! Check out their bios:

“Hello! My name is Allie Sibole, and I am excited to be working as an ethicist on the Solar Decathlon team. I am currently a junior pursuing a major in bioengineering and a minor in mechanical engineering, but despite my technical background, I have always been interested in the human dimension behind engineering problems. There are so many social and moral issues that accompany advancements in innovation, and I look forward to taking an in-depth look at the ethical principles behind the decisions made by the Solar Decathlon team. In my role, I will be doing a great deal of research to ensure that the materials we use are environmentally sustainable, that our sponsors uphold fair business practices, and that the decisions we make reflect the values of our Jesuit university. My goal is to convey our commitment to sustainability and social justice to all who enter the Radiant house. I will use this blog to keep you updated on the progress of my project, so be sure to check back regularly!”

-Allie

“Hello Solar Decathlon followers!  My name is Missy Giorgi, and I’m one of our latest team additions in one of the latest team positions: an ethical adviser and community outreach coordinator.  As a senior with a diverse liberal arts background in sociology and environmental studies, plus Spanish and Latin American studies, I will be helping the team to more deeply invest in creating an inclusive and “on-the-ground” sustainability approach — one that builds and sustains communities, as well as housing.  My goal is to bring the Jesuit sense of service to others and whole-person education into the Decathlon by customizing programs for local schools and community centers.  This way, we can share our enthusiasm for higher education, innovation, and environmental stewardship with everyone.  Sustainability isn’t about privilege, but about working together; so Santa Clara is going to work together with all of our local community to create an infectious culture of learning and excelling!
I’m so excited to be part of the team, and I can’t wait to get out there and starting working with groups all around Santa Clara and San Jose.  If you would like our Solar Decathlon team to make a connection with a school, team, community center, or other organization where people come together, please contact me at missygiorgi@gmail.com!  We are happy to present ourselves to any area of the Bay, as well as older and younger folks.  Let’s all get involved!”

-Missy

Thank you ladies, and welcome to the team!