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Photo of a group of people sitting around a table and chatting in a round-walled kitchen.

Decathletes chat during a dinner party in Cornell University's Solar Decathlon 2009 house.

Home Entertainment

(100 points)

The Home Entertainment contest is designed to demonstrate that houses powered solely by the sun can provide a comfortable setting with power for the electronics, appliances, and modern conveniences we love. The Home Entertainment contest gauges whether a house has what it takes to be a home. How well does it accommodate the pleasures of living, such as sharing meals with friends and family, watching movies in a home theater, and surfing the Web? How well does it accommodate a small home office for a telecommuter?

The contest included:

  • Holding two dinner parties for neighbors. Guests awarded the host team points based on the quality of the meal, ambiance, and overall experience.

  • Sufficiently illuminating work areas and keeping all interior and exterior house lights on during specified periods of time.

  • Operating a TV, computer, and other devices during specified periods.

  • Hosting a movie night for neighbors, who rated their hosts based on the quality of the home theater system as well as design, ambiance, and overall experience.

  • Simulating cooking by using a kitchen appliance to boil and vaporize 5 pounds (80 oz or 2.268 kg) of water within a specified period of time over several days.