A former inaugural (2002) and repeat (2005, 2007) Solar Decathlon participant, The University of Texas at Austin, School of Architecture (UTSoA) was also a participant in the (2005) EPA P3 Competition with an entry on “Zero Net Energy Homes.”
Building on the lessons learned from those projects, UTSoA started the design process in an interdisciplinary architecture and engineering design studio in
spring 2013. In 2013, UTSoA developed a working research partnership with Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Germany (TUM) through the joint EnergyXChange Conference www.energy-ex-change.com directed by Professor Petra Liedl in Austin, Texas. As an outgrowth of the conference, UTSoA and TUM began working together to develop a joint entry to the 2015 Solar Decathlon competition. During the October 2013 EnergyXChange conference, faculty and students from TUM shared their expertise in lecturers, seminars and workshops. During the project exchange programs for students and faculty from both universities will strengthen their relationship to facilitate project coordination, and continue to develop ideas within the strong sustainable design programs at both schools. As one of 17 teams selected from more than 150 applicants, the UT-TUM team's goal for this structure is to successfully respond to the energy, water, food, and population growth nexus — issues that are interrelated and especially relevant in Texas and especially in Austin. The house will demonstrate the potential of integrated energy and water design concepts, such as thermal storage, rainwater and gray water collection, and aquaponics and urban food production systems. The 2015 UT Solar Decathlon team is formulated as an interdisciplinary collaboration, working with the strengths of several programs within the University of Texas and TUM.
