In an effort to raise community awareness, Penn State's Solar Decathlon team will hold an open house to debut new project plans for competition at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, in 104 Keller Building, University Park.
The team's meeting is open to all members of the University and community. In addition to revealing their new design the team will answer questions and discuss various opportunities that exist within the project.
Dubbed "MorningStar," the model home will feature new Penn State initiatives in renewable energy. The team consists of professors and students alike from the College of Engineering as well as volunteers from different fields throughout the University. A part of a growing collegiate effort to design and implement new ways to help consumers combat rising energy costs, the MorningStar will feature solar, wind and hydrogen energy sources. The completed model will be entered for national competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy on the Mall of America in Washington, D.C.
After the competition the model will travel back to Penn State's Center for Sustainability environmental research and education site. The home turned laboratory will provide students, faculty and the community with further research opportunities as the academic year unfolds.