The Solar Decathlon is an internationally recognized competition that draws a crowd of approximately 350,000 people every two years. Twenty teams from around the world converge on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for a week to display homes they built with the ability to run a modern household using only energy from the sun.

According to the Department of Solar Energy, it is essential for the competing teams to concentrate on effectively choosing the systems, products, and appliances used in their homes. Every detail is scrutinized and judged, from design aesthetics to the overall comfort and warmth felt by potential occupants.

In 2005, Warmboard was chosen by the University of Colorado in Boulder and the University of Texas at Austin to contribute to the heating system for their homes. It was a thrill for Warmboard when both schools made it into the top 10. In fact, University of Colorado won the competition.

Looking to the success of University of Colorado, five universities have chosen Warmboard for the upcoming 2007 Solar Decathlon held in October. Tony Gasparich, President of Warmboard Inc. said, “It has been a pleasure and honor to be included in the homes that have great potential to shape our future. We have truly enjoyed being a sponsor. I look forward to seeing the efficiency and feeling the warmth that Warmboard has added to these homes this fall when they are on the National Mall.”

In the recent months, Warmboard has been working diligently with the dedicated teams at the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Maryland, the University of Cincinnati, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Lawrence Technological University to help them executetheir plans for installing Warmboard in their competition homes.

When talking to the students about why they choose Warmboard, all of the teams concluded that Warmboard is simply the most efficient and is easy to install. Kurt Keville, the project manager at MIT said, “Warmboard is a completely comprehensive system with a very intuitive installation process and fits discreetly into the building.”

With time constraints a reality for these teams, Warmboard provided them with a sub-floor and radiant paneling all in one. “We needed something quick and simple,” said Team Structural Engineer, Sam Covey, of the University of Texas at Austin.

Luke Field, the team project manager for the University of Cincinnati, said one of the reasons their team decided to go with Warmboard was because, “Warmboard was the most responsive of the companies we contacted, and we believe they provide a superior product.”

Recognition as a team sponsor in the past and forthcoming Solar Decathlon has allowed Warmboard to continue gaining additional exposure in the green building community. As healthy, green and efficient building trends rapidly unfold more companies are beginning to realize that to be green is not a pop culture fad, but a way of life.

“Warmboard fits perfectly into a complete solar off-grid house. At UT, we conducted an analysis of our radiant system by combining Warmboard’s performance data with our building simulation data, and concluded that these two systems would be able to provide adequate heating for 87 percent of the year. He added that, “Warmboard coupled with a proper system allows an off-grid house to rarely use electric energy to provide household heating and saving electricity for other uses,” said Covey.

Warmboard’s contribution to these five Solar Decathlon teams has allowed Warmboard to expand farther into the green building trend that continues to encompass smarter and more energy efficient products for home building.

In a world that is progressively shifting to use alternate energy resources, Warmboard’s ability to be used in multiple applications from standard water heaters to geothermal systems, will continue to keep it on the cutting edge of green technology.

2007 Solar Decathalon PDF