TEAM BeauSoleil Heads to DC for the 2009 Solar Decathlon

Beginning in the fall of 2007, students from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette began working on conceptual designs and applications for the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home. BeauSoleil, which means Beautiful Sun in French, or "Sunshine" in Cajun French, proved to be an ideal choice for their team and project as they worked to design a culturally relevant, technological hybrid that advances the traditional homebuilding in our region.

Their journey will culminate this October, as the team travels to Washington D.C. for the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition. The Solar Decathlon is a worldwide competition in which 20 colleges and universities are chosen to design, build, and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered home. Once the project is completed here in Lafayette, the home will be partially disassembled and transported to D.C., where it will be re-built on the Washington Mall along with the other competitors projects. The team will then operate the home for the duration of the judging between October 7 and 18. The ten competitions of the Solar Decathlon test day to day life in the home.

Designed to be completely self-sufficient, the BeauSoleil Home will generate more energy than it consumes, collect its own water using a cistern, and capture natural breezes and sunshine to reduce the amount of energy it consumes. Operable shutters serve dual functions by providing shade and hurricane protection for windows. In addition to sustainability, the project will also include reflections of the schools native culture - a rich heritage that TEAM BeauSoleil is proud to share with the world.

With this mission in mind, the UL Lafayette design team worked to capture the essence of Louisianas heritage in their design. The transitional porch and kitchen respond to the region's love of entertaining and cooking. Native plants and local materials, such as cypress, were incorporated throughout the home and landscaping. For the competition, the home will be completed with Louisiana artwork and performances by the band BeauSoleil.

The students and professors who make up TEAM BeauSoleil are dedicated to turning this real-world, sustainable living solution into an eventual working model that can be sold to the public. Once the home is introduced to the marketplace, it will meet the urgent need for self-sufficient residential homes that was heightened after the hurricanes of 2005. The BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home brings a tangible opportunity for homeowners in the Gulf Coast region to cut their energy costs, while providing a viable environmental alternative to traditional homes. As a self-sufficient home, it will actually put energy back into the grid. As the BeauSoleil Home takes its place on the global stage, it will bring with it the history and tradition of an entire culture. TEAM BeauSoleil believes in our university, our culture, our state, and our future. The world will believe too, when they experience Louisiana in a whole new light.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• BeauSoleil
• Home
• Solar Decathlon
• UL-Lafayette
• Green
• Building
• Living
• architecture
• sustainable
• hurricane
• katrina
• rita
• solar
• energy
• alternative

[dfr4badkarma]

I am so proud to be an alumna of a university that is constantly advancing. Congrats team BeauSoleil! Good Luck and best wishes.

[vice0903]

YEAAAAAAAAHH GO TEAM BEAUSOLEIL!!!

[nortonassociates]

Tell everyone you know to support the Ragin' Cajuns in DC on Facebook and click on the YouTube videos. It's part of the DOE competition! Thanks.

[sancornorth]

Very cool!

[jdjohnbeausoleil]

Excellent video TEAM BeauSoleil. Go University of Louisiana at Lafayette!

[sonjakay]

Geauuux CAJUNS!! This is a great video! Each one of you should be incredibly proud of all the hard work paying off with such a fantastic, world-class entry. We are all wishing you the best!