Campus Life

Free tour of solar home will take place on March 3

Engineers for a Sustainable World will host a free tour of Penn State's 2007 Solar Decathlon entry, the MorningStar solar home, on March 3.

Participants may meet the group at 6:45 p.m. in room 208 of the Hammond Building on Penn State's University Park campus and board a Blue Loop bus to the solar home or go directly to the MorningStar at 8 p.m. To RSVP, contact Alex Devaux at ayd5037@psu.edu.

The MorningStar was constructed to participate in the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon, which challenged 20 universities from around the world to design, build and operate a solar-powered home that was both energy efficient and attractive.

Penn State's entry, along with those from other schools, were displayed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., during the contest. Penn State's MorningStar home finished fourth in the 2007 Solar Decathlon.

The home features materials native to the state, including Pennsylvania black slate, bluestone floor tile and recycled steel. The house's furniture, designed by students, was made of wood milled from campus trees.

The MorningStar's other eco-friendly features include a garden that filters, cleans and stores rainwater for irrigation reuse and a system that tracks energy production and consumption.

Last Updated March 2, 2010

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