This year’s Solar Decathlon 2013 competition will take place Oct. 3–13, 2013, at Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California. Open to the public and free of charge, the Solar Decathlon gives visitors the opportunity to tour the houses, gather ideas to use in their own homes, and learn how energy-saving features can help them save money today.

Simple. Excellent. Smart. For the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013, newcomer Vienna University of Technology is designing a “house of the future,” reports Solar Decathlon.

Solar Decathlon 2013, Team Austria: Vienna University of Technology

A computer-generated rendering of the Solar Decathlon 2013 concept of Vienna University of Technology | Courtesy of the Vienna University of Technology Solar Decathlon team

Team Austria’s architectural design provides interesting views inside and out that create a sense of living beyond the small dwelling. Its prefabricated, lightweight construction components can be combined in different ways to adapt to different needs. Almost all the construction materials will come from renewable or easily recyclable resources for sustainability before and after the house’s lifecycle.

A computer-animated walkthrough of the Solar Decathlon 2013 house of Vienna University of Technology

The Team Austria house will provide a healthy, comfortable, and enjoyable environment and generate at least enough energy to power the daily lives of its inhabitants, including their needs for mobility, heating and cooling, and warm water. Its simplicity, flexibility, and component availability make it an affordable housing option for almost everyone almost everywhere.

Good luck to the 2013 Solar Decathlon Team Austria: Vienna University of Technology. –Amber Archangel

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