Green News

The past month has been an important one for the Solar Decathlon (SD). From being chosen as the lucky recipients of the Senior Class Gift, to a successful open house over Homecoming weekend, to the recently-updated blog and website, the team has made strides both large and small.

The landscaping plan for the house is nearing completion, with those involved working to decide upon the plants that will be used and focusing on the features of the greenhouse, looking to make it productive in the cold Vermont winters that the house is designed to deal with. The team is also planning to harvest maple from the College forest for the house’s floors, using our natural Middlebury resources to both help the development of the house and tie it to the school from which it came. These details show just how much progress the team is making, as choosing them brings the house that much closer to a finalized plan and eventually to its construction. This will be helped along by the recently decided J-term and spring courses. These classes, while they are somewhat hidden in the course catalog, are open to all students. They are a great way to learn about the project and get involved while receiving course credit.

In other November news, Greenbuild, an international conference in Chicago held Nov. 17-19, will be an important event for four SD team members. Kris Williams ’11, Katie Romanov ’11.5, Abe Bendheim ’10.5, and Aaron Kelly ’13 plan to make the trip, funded by the generosity of a donor. Between learning about emerging green technologies and building materials, a Middlebury friends and alumni fundraising event on Nov. 18 and a meeting with an architecture firm there, the visit looks to be a great way to make connections, fundraise and learn from world-renowned experts in green fields.

Another essential November date is the Nov. 23 submission of the Design Development Deliverable. The deliverable is a 3-dimensional computer rendering of the Middlebury SD house, created using Building Information Modeling software. The model must have 80 percent of the exterior and interior features confirmed and displayed, from colors and appliances to the house’s siding. It works like a virtual tour; one must be able to look at any room in the house from any angle. While the design can change from this model, the deadline exists to force Solar Decathlon participants to detail their plans. In order to make the deadline, the Middlebury team has begun having Saturday work parties from 10 to 4. Fueled by Ramunto’s food, everyone gets down to business.

Sarah Franco ’08, who is a Special Projects Coordinator at Middlebury, has also joined the team to lend her guidance. She has worked hard on a social media strategy plan for 51 Main’s communications effort. In a world where social media is becoming increasingly more important by the day, having Sarah there to help us strategize is key. They estimate that Facebook has over 500 million users today, and Twitter has an unprecedented 145 million registered users as of September. It’s not as important to reach every user as it is to use the platforms to raise awareness for us. The beauty of the internet is that users can come together over things that they find interesting. If we’re lucky, people will come together over the Middlebury SD team in the coming weeks, which will not only help us fundraise and show our events and progress, but also make Middlebury people, from those on campus to those in the “real” world, united by the project as a common ground. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at MiddSD!