UC 'Journo' Ryan McLendon speaks out on his solar excursion

Ryan McLendon poses with UC journalism professor Elissa Sonnenberg at The Washington Post.

My trip to the 2007 Solar Decathlon was a fascinating and harrowing experience. The Solar Decathlon is an international competition sponsored by the Department of Energy where 20 universities from around the globe compete to design and build the perfect solar house. The competition this year took place on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

I initially became involved in the U.C. Solar Decathlon InForm team not because I was an environmental enthusiast, but because I love projects. I interviewed two key members of the team, architecture student Christopher Davis, and electrical engineer Jeremy Smith. With these interviews, I was immediately inundated with the deluge of information about the way the house worked, both conceptually and mechanically. I learned about the technologies being utilized by the house, the photovoltaic panels, and the evacuated tubing, that absorbed the sun’s rays and converted them into electric power and thermal energy.

Essentially drowning in information about green architecture, engineering and living, it was only a matter of time before I too became a raging, tempestuous environmentalist. I not only incorporated green habits into my everyday life, such as recycling, using canvas bags instead of plastic and only eating at restaurants that use local produce, but I also followed the activities of the Solar Decathlon team throughout the summer and onto the Mall this Autumn.

The Solar Decathlon was a very elucidating experience. At the event, I walked around for hours talking with other teams and touring their houses. It was interesting to see how 20 different universities dealt with the same problems of design and construction. Many teams used evacuated tubing to heat water for instance, but no other team using them to heat and cool their entire house as the U.C, team did. Some team’s houses had more aesthetic value than others. The University of Maryland’s house was stunning both outside and inside and the also effectively used technology.

As a journalist, I was greatly pleased to have this real- world experience where I had to think on my feet, make the best of what I had and to find stories when they weren’t apparent. I will be at the next Decathlon.