Local News

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ― Project Energy was on the Mall of our nation's Capitol 2 years ago to show you the "Solar Decathlon." It's a competition among 20 universities from all over the world to see which one can create the best solar house.

And this October: The University of Minnesota will be competing for the first time. We got a preview tour of the house they're building.

"We call our house the ICON house," said master architecture student Shengyin Xu.

Xu gave WCCO-TV Project Energy reporter Don Shelby around the ICON house. It's called ICON because the angles are a twist on the iconic traditional gabled roof.

"What we did was we worked with all the engineers, the architects, designers and came up with a shape that integrates both aesthetics and function," explained Xu, "So the shape is actually a great shape for collecting solar power."

After all, collecting the power of the sun is what's most important in a solar competition. However, as you can see by the renderings of the ICON house, it must also be functional, comfortable and energy self-sufficient. The judges will be looking at everything.

"What we all have is those entertainment systems, the big television sets that draw. Is that included?" asked Shelby.

"That's included. They really are trying to simulate modern day living in this house and this competition. So, we do have a home entertainment contest that's new."

This is a million-dollar project involving more than 150 students from all across the university. And much of the equipment and materials are being donated by local businesses. It will have a huge impact on research and development; and the future of solar energy.

"The construction of a solar house like this takes the support of a lot of people both inside the University and outside," said Shelby, "including the person at the top, President Bob Bruininks of the University of Minnesota. Two years ago I called him and asked him whether the University would be involved in the next solar decathlon. He said, 'Absolutely.' He had actually never heard of the solar decathlon."

"And I said, 'What's the solar decathlon competition?'" said Bruininks, "That's how the conversation started."

"It is an amazing piece of work, but it requires a lot of planning just to get accepted as one of the colleges in the world that is allowed to put a display on the Mall," said Shelby.

"I'm deeply proud of the work that we do here at the University of Minnesota in finding solutions to the energy crisis we face not just in the United States but around the world," said Bruininks.

"With everything going green, we're probably going to see a lot more of this," said Trevor Johnson. He's one of the students getting hands-on learning.

"You're looking at every aspect from ground up and inside out," said Johnson, "for a house that's actually pretty unusual compared to standard housing. You've got double-studding and insulation galore in this thing."

The ICON house is designed with Minnesota in mind. Enough heat for cold winters and cool in humid summers. Once it's built, they believe the house will actually produce more energy than it will use.

After the competition, it will be sold as a regular house. So the experience will shine on.

"It's interesting the solar decathlon is bringing people together," said Bruininks, "some of them for the first time, to work together on, I think, this magnificent project."

We're going to follow the construction of the solar house on its way to Washington, D.C.

Then the house will be split into six different sections to be moved and re-constructed on the Mall.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

More Special Reports

• New Economy
• Good Question
• Reality Check
• Don Shelby's Good To Know
• Finding Minnesota
• I-TEAM Investigations
• Project Energy