UC Solar House Send Off this morning

The University of Cincinnati solar house will begin its journey to Washington, D.C. this morning.

The "Solar House Send Off" will take place in front of UC's Braunstein Hall at 10:15 AM.

The house, which has been disassembled into four parts, will be loaded onto trailers.

Two of the trailers will head off for Washington following the ceremony. The convoy will be led by UC President Nancy Zimpher, who will be driving an electric car called the "Sun Bug".

The solar house is the product of a contest called the Solar Decathlon, an international competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy in which only 20 universities were selected to participate.

The project, which began in April, involved about 200 students from the College of Business; the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning; and the College of Engineering.

It cost $530,000 to complete, of which $250,000 went into the house itself.

All 20 homes will be on public display on the National Mall from October 12-19.

The winning house will be the one judged the most innovative and efficient in using the sun's power to supply all of its energy needs.

Visit the Solar Decathlon website
View a Solar House slideshow