Award-winning solar house built by students now available for tours on campus

Contacts:
Rhonda Zurn, College of Science and Engineering, rzurn@umn.edu, (612) 626-7959

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (12/03/2010) —Tour a house designed to get all of the power it needs for heating, cooling and electricity from the sun. The award-winning ICON Solar House, built by University of Minnesota students, has been reconstructed on campus and is available for tours as part of the Bell Museum’s Sustainable Shelter exhibit. Tours are available through May 2011.

The house, located across the street from the Bell Museum on Church Street in front of the Armory, is open for tours as follows:

Tuesday-Friday: 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday: Noon-4 p.m.
Group Tours: Thursday nights at 6 p.m.
Call 612-626-9660 to schedule tours at other times.
Museum will be closed Friday, Dec. 24, 2010-Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011

The solar house tour is included in the regular museum admission prices.

The ICON Solar House, designed and built by students from the University of Minnesota’s College of Science and Engineering, College of Design, and College of Continuing Education, competed in the 2009 Solar Decathlon Competition in Washington, D.C. In that competition, the house won the prestigious engineering award and lighting design award. Overall the house placed fifth among 20 teams.

The house has a modified roof for maximum solar collection in Minnesota and features Energy Star rated appliances that use 10 to 50 percent less energy and water than standard models.

To watch a video where students describe features of the ICON Solar House, visit our College of Science and Engineering YouTube channel at z.umn.edu/solarhousevideo.

For more information about the Bell Museum’s Sustainable Shelter exhibit, visit the Bell Museum website at www.bellmuseum.org.