Solar Decathlon Update and Diary

Rice University ZEROHOUSE integrates line drying laundry in the sun [Photo Stefano Paltera, U.S. Department of Energy; all other photos Christof Spieler]

Christof Spieler
Oct. 12, 2009
11:41 PM

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Architecture, Environment
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2009 Solar Decathlon

Ambien Over The Counter, Rice University ZEROHOUSE integrates line drying laundry in the sun [Photo Stefano Paltera, U.S. Department of Energy; all other photos Christof Spieler]

At the end of day five, the Rice Solar Decathlon team is in third place behind Team Germany and Team California. The Rice entry tied for first in the hot water category, and came in second for both architecture and market viability, ambien stomach gastrointestinal. For updates on scores, visit the Solar Decathlon website.

Today, Ambien discount card, on the National Mall, in front of the Museum of Natural History, there’s a house built by Rice students. It’s one of 20 entries in the Solar Decathlon, a Department of Energy-sponsored competition to build a highly efficient yet livable solar-powered house, Ambien Over The Counter. I came to DC for the installation as the structural engineer for the house.

[caption id="attachment_2204" align="alignnone" width="498" caption="Roque Sanchez at 2009 Solar Decathlon"][/caption]

But of the Rice team there, ambien near death experience, I was probably the one who’d done the least work on it. Roque Sanchez, for example, Contact ambien, has been working on this house for four years. He was a freshman at Rice when he started putting together the application to the competition; he graduated with a degree in Environmental Engineering in May. Ambien Over The Counter, Nearly everything on this house was done by the students --- the architectural design (lead by David Dewane, architecture grad student), the selection of mechanical systems, the framing, the roofing, the finish work, the fundraising, communications (lead by Allison Elliot), and even the media relations (with Rebecca Sibley repeatedly interviewed by reporters). And the faculty advisers --- Danny Samuels and Nonya Grenader from Architecture, and Brent Houchens from Engineering --- kept a watchful eye on everything.

Wednesday, taking ambien, September 30, 11:00 pm. The mall is empty except for yellow tape marking the construction plots, Zolpidem ambien, but teams are gathering in the dark. It’s officially time to begin. A line of U-Hauls and flatbed trucks waits in the distance, bearing supplies and piece of houses, Ambien Over The Counter. Team Missouri, on the plot next to us, has their truck pull in with the body of their house at 12:30, ambien us pharmacy online consultation. Our U-Haul is further back in line; it doesn’t reach us until midnight. Then it’s time to pull out planters --- the “green wall” that will cover the front off the house --- and boxes of tools. We also wheel over the generator a rental company dropped off for us.

Ambien Over The Counter, Meanwhile, other teams are working away. Smoking while on ambien, Pieces of houses are appearing all around us. Different teams have different approaches. Missouri is driving theirs in place, then jacking it off of the flatbed. Team North, canadian pharmacy no prescription ambien, on the other side of us, is lifting the core of their house in one piece, then assembling the rest from smaller sections of floor, Buy ambien online 100 tabs, roof, and windows. The Spanish team built their house in three nearly finished pieces, each the trailer part of a tractor-trailer; the first piece drives in by 1:45 and its tractor detaches, Ambien Over The Counter.

The Rice house will lift in one piece. But that won’t happen until daylight. Before then, ambien without presciption, though, we need to place the foundations, big steel pads that will sit on a layer of sand atop the grass of the Mall. Taper schedule for ambien, They’re on our second truck; it arrives at 2:00. Ambien Over The Counter, The students keep unloading in the early morning darkness. That takes a while, and so does placing the foundation. After a few tries, the pads are in the right place and leveled, ambien with mastercard, with a steel jig setting the distances between them to an accuracy of a fraction of an inch. By then, it’s 5:00 am, Ambien step down, and the subway is about to start running. I trudge to the station. The students are still working, Ambien Over The Counter.

Our lift is scheduled for 10:00 the next morning. I make it back out, heavily caffeinated, norvasc ambien cr. The mall is now a construction site --- generators humming, power tools everywhere, seven big cranes framing the view of the Washington Monument. Ambien xanax, Our crane is there --- it actually showed up the night before and spent the night parked in front of the Smithsonian Castle. Ambien Over The Counter, The house is there, too, but it’s deep back in a line of trucks, blocks away. I check the foundation again --- relieved that it looks fine in daylight --- and walk to the house. There are two students on the roof when I show up, mounting angles that will carry solar panels. We also remove the plywood that’s been covering the windows, interaction cymbalta ambien. Inside, the house shows no sign of its 1,400 mile trip: the sheetrock is not cracked, Ambien cr really helped my insomnia, the kitchen cabinets are in place. With the plywood gone, it feels like a nice place to live, even on the back of a truck, Ambien Over The Counter.

The logistics of this project cost as much as the house: trucks, cranes, flights, hotel rooms, who prescribed ambien to heath ledger. A professional logistics firms hired the trucks, cranes, and crews and pulled all the permits. Trial coupons for ambien, Finally, we get the call: we’re cleared to move. The driver starts the engine. Ambien Over The Counter, Then, another call: the crane company forgot the spreader bar in Baltimore. We can’t lift without it. And there isn’t another one nearby, patient assistance for getting ambien cr. So we wait again. Pizza gets ordered for lunch; everyone gathers around the disassembled pieces of the future front porch eating, then nearly everyone leans back for a rest.

The spreader bar finally shows up around 3:30, Ambien Over The Counter. Nonprescription ambien, Our house gets pulled around. The crane crew strings rigging together, the crane operator and the truck diver discuss where to pull the house up to so it won’t hit trees, and the event safety coordinators hover nervously. Our project depends on this lift, ambien online orders. We’re the only team that’s lifting a complete house in one piece. Ambien Over The Counter, If this works, we go from lagging behind the other teams to leading. We don’t want to think about what happens if it fails. The Missourians next door are skeptical. Ambien sale, The truck is in place. The crane is hooked up. Team members stand back and spread out to keep the tourists away, Ambien Over The Counter. The crane revs up. Daylight appears under the living room end of the house. More daylight --- but the bedroom end hasn’t lifted yet, prescrption ambien. The house is suspended off kilter. Ambien Over The Counter, This is not unexpected --- we know from the crane lift in Houston that the center of gravity is not at the center of the house --- but it dictates an adjustment. The house is set back on the truck and more shackles are added to the rigging.

The crane lifts again. This time the house is dead level. (Danny Samuels confirms with a level.) The house swings over to the waiting foundation. A rigger at end end aligns it roughly; then they kneel down to line up threaded rids with waiting sleeves, Ambien Over The Counter. For a moment, the house hangs there impatiently. “Lined up here.” “Here, too.” Another two inch drop, and the house is in place. But the crane stays on (and safety cribbing remains in place) while students connect and tighten diagonal turnbuckles that brace the foundation pads.

4:10 pm, Seventeen hours after work on the Mall started, and we have a house. Ambien Over The Counter, Everything’s in place and everything’s level. The crane is unhooked. There’s a sign of relief, a brief moment of congratulations, and impromptu team photo. And then everyone goes back to work. There are porches to attach, a green wall to mount, electrical connections to make, paint touch-up to do, furniture to move in, pictures to hang. I’m headed back to the hotel. But the students have another 6 days of construction before then, and then two weeks of public tours. The Solar Decathlon has only begun.

For OffCite's previous coverage of the Solar Decathlon, visit Going Solar on the National Mall and $olar $avings: Are Affordable Solar Powered Houses Possible?.