Solar Design Contest 4 SouthCarolina Colleges $5000 prize due 4/10/13 anyone interested?

rollandelliott

http://www.energy.sc.gov/publications/SolarStructureCompetition.pdf
has the complete details.
I'd like to enter but I'm just an individual, not a college prof or student. Are there any college professors or students that want to team up with me?
anyone got any ideas?
obviously this is a not for profit contest all proceeds go to the university/college.
It will be interesting to see what people come up with. seems to me the most efficient design is a bunch of panels in a flat array facing south at the right angle, not much creative design in that! with solar panels going for 64cents a watt, trackers are pretty much economically unfeasible.



Design Restrictions and Limits
It is the intent of the competition to encourage creative design and develop new project
ideas that could be constructed by Santee Cooper. The restrictions and limitations are
minimized to encourage the most wide-ranging of possibilities for solar structures. The
one restriction that is limiting for this competition is that the design should be replicable
at other sites in South Carolina, and not dependent on a single pre-existing building or
structure for its application. Also, for practical reasons the electrical output should be at
least 2kW AC.
Depending on cost and available funding, it may be possible for Santee Cooper to
construct one or more of the designs. Projects that would cost $250,000 or less to
construct are more likely to be funded than more expensive projects; however the
selection committee will consider all conceptual designs for the competition and for
construction.
The prizes awarded in the competition are described in Section F, and any decision to
construct projects from the designs submitted will be a separate endeavor, based
possibly on different constraints than the prize competition.
Any submittals to Santee Cooper will be deemed to have assigned rights for the
conceptual design to Santee Cooper so that Santee Cooper can complete a full design
for purposes of constructing one or more of the structures for Santee Cooper’s uses. The
submitter will retain ownership of the conceptual design.
C. Additional suggestions
There can be many reasons to construct solar PV in a particular design. The structure
could be multi-purposed such that the site provides additional benefits beyond the solar
generation. The solar PV design could benefit the electrical grid by using the geometry
of the structure to supply power to the grid during peak electric demand times (such as
late afternoons in summer or early mornings in winter). The solar PV project could be
inspiring or artistic, adding an aesthetic value. The design could be highly efficient in its
capture of solar energy. The structure could be especially functional for some special
use or need. The solar structure could be themed or packaged, possibly even utilizing
ancillary equipment to meet the needs of a particular application and resulting in a niche
market for the design.