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Architecture Professors Present UT’s Solar House Sept. 13

Living Light, the solar house built for the 2011 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, will be the topic of the second Science Forum of the semester at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Amy Howard, architect and director of development, and James Rose, architect and adjunct professor of architecture and design, will present “The UT Solar Houseā€”A Prototype of Zero-Energy Living,” on Friday Sept. 13.

In the 2011 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, the College of Architecture and Design and the Institute for Smart Structures focused on the integration of aesthetics, technology and energy efficient construction through the concept of Living Light. This concept not only relates to the sun, daylight and energy; it is a way of life that actively engages each participant in a learning experience to promote sustainable living.

More than 200 UT students and faculty across nine academic disciplines designed the Living Light house for the Solar Decathlon.

UT placed eighth overall in the decathlon and claimed high-standing marks in several categories, including first in energy production, third in engineering, third in hot-water production, third in energy-efficient appliances and fifth in architecture.