Results of 2015 Delta International Solar Building Design Competition Announced

SHANGHAI, Sept. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Results of the 2015 Delta International Solar Building Design Competition were announced in Qinghai on September 22. Themed "Sunshine and Beautiful Village", the global contest this year had two categories: Low Energy-Consumption Housing for Farmers in Qinghai Province, and Rural Housing Industrializations in the Residential Park, Huangshi City. Beijing Jiaotong University's "Regeneration of Vernacular Settlements" and Guangxi University's "Solar Bamboo House" won top prize in the two categories, respectively.

Currently, the first, second and third-prize winning projects as well as those with honorable mention in the projects for Low Energy-Consumption Housing for Farmers in Qinghai Province are in the process of implementation in Tuergan Village in Huangyuan County of Qinghai. Having been incorporated as part of the province's program for "Science and Technology Promotion in the New Rural Development", these projects testify how technological innovations can promote and serve as a pillar of new rural development. It also marks for the first time that the competition's winning projects are being put into realization as a model for development.

The countryside nurtures cities, providing metropolitans with an abundance of labor, produces and ecosystem security. It was chosen as the target of this year's competition to focus on the development of economic and habitable rural housing by applying such clean technologies as solar power and green architecture technique to serve the new rural development.

Shi Dinghuan, Chairman of China Renewable Energy Society (CRES), extended his heartfelt congratulations to all of the winning teams at his speech. Shi said the competition, since its inception in 2005, has continued to expand its influence over the course of a decade. As the numbers of participants and its significance as a platform have increased, the event has progressively become a comprehensive platform for industry wisdom sharing, new energy application services, implementation of winner projects, innovative talent cultivation, and the communications of low-carbon concept. The winning projects over the years not only have improved in terms of quality but also set good example on the application of renewable energy in architecture. From the Delta Sunshine Elementary School in Yangjia Town in 2009, Delta low-carbon demonstration project in 2011, to this year's Low Energy-Consumption Housing for Farmers in Qinghai Province, these laureled projects have been put into reality after the competition, further advancing the advocate of green energy concept.

"Since the competition was kicked off in May 2014, Qinghai Science and Technology Department has actively sought to have the winning proposals realized in Qinghai," said Weixing Zhou, Deputy Director of the department. The implementation of the laureled projects provides an effective solution to energy-saving housing issue in the agricultural and pastoral areas in Qinghai, setting a milestone in the province's green architecture development. In the 12^th 5-year plan, the country has aggressively promoted key technology and industry research in energy-saving architecture, generating a number of green architecture applications. Qinghai, rich in such renewable resource as solar power, is equipped with favorable conditions to apply these new models. Through the implementation of this year's winning projects, which fully leverage solar power and green architecture technique, Qinghai has turned Tuergan Village into a model for low-energy housing in the country.

"Delta Environmental and Educational Foundation (DEEF) is very honored to have been the official sponsor of the Delta International Solar Building Design Competition for the 5 times in the past 10 years. We are pleased to see the contest has bred a legion of college talent for green architecture design. Moreover, we are thrilled that the ideal behind the competition has received acknowledgement from the Qinghai provincial government, which is committed to providing support to realize the winning projects. It makes possible the implementation of the low energy-consumption housing for farmers in Tuergan Village, demonstrating a green architecture design that actually works and serves as a model, and effectuating the promotion of the competition," Liao Qinglong, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Delta Electronics (China) said, adding that "As part of our commitment in environmental protection and low-energy solution as well as contribution to the society, Delta has set up a "Corporate Social Responsibility Committee for Delta China Region" in 2014. In our first "CSR Report for Delta China Region" released this year, we have unveiled our initiatives of "Promotion of Green Architecture in Response to Climate Change", introducing the methods the company has taken. Through the Delta International Solar Building Design Competition, we are able to spread out our green concept and join forces with others in advancing the cause to fulfill our corporate social responsibility. "

After the award ceremony, honorable guests, local leaders, winning teams, and teachers and students from participating schools jointly visited the construction site of the winning projects. The guests engaged in discussions on a variety of issues from building technology, cost effectiveness, to the promotion model. It is their common view that the Low Energy-Consumption Housing project, carefully taking into account local weather condition and local architectural feathers, has fully taken advantage of solar power and green architecture technique, achieving the goals of scalability at a low cost, living comfort, and healthy low-carbon habitation. It is expected to be a leading model for the new rural development for Qinghai, and even the whole country. The competition committee would also provide testing service for these projects, lending technological support for the new rural development in Qinghai as well as the whole country.

Jointly held by the International Solar Energy Society and CRES, the 2015 Delta International Solar Building Design Competition was carried out by China National Engineering Research Center For Human Settlements and the Special Committee of Solar Buildings under CRES with DEEF as the sole official sponsor. The competition committee is in charge of competition launch, media promotion, campus tour, registration and collection of participating projects, preliminary and final evaluation, and technology exchange seminars. What's notable is that one of the participants was a 2^nd-grade student from the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, which shows that the competition has attracted more and more young people to dedicate themselves to the field of green architecture with an aim to create a life that is more energy-saving, low-carbon and healthier.

About Delta International Solar Building Design Competition

In order to pursue social progress and comfortable life, people have constantly consumed massive amount of energy and made a habit out of it. The environmental pollution and energy waste, however, have become unbearable, rending the planet fragile. To cope with the crisis, not only do we need to search for alternative clean energy and technology solutions, we also have to, more importantly, change the concept and the way people consume energy to create a lifestyle that is energy-saving, environmental friendly, and sustainable.

Delta International Solar Building Design Competition in China purports to convey this value - focusing on the hot topics that are in line with contemporary social development, advancing the low-carbon idea to the world through design concept and engineering implementation. Jointly held by ISES and CRES, the event is carried out by China National Engineering Research Center For Human Settlements and the Special Committee of Solar Buildings under CRES with DEEF as the sole official sponsor.

The event aims to promote the application of clean energy, such as solar power, in architecture and life by means of competition, spreading out the ideal of environmental protection. The contest has received great support from China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and China Construction Technology Consulting Co.. Over the past decade, the competition has attracted 5,537 teams from more than 90 countries, who submitted a total of 1,032 qualified proposals.

In 2005, the Special Committee of Solar Buildings under CRES held the first "China Solar Architecture Design Competition" with a theme on the solar power application on rural housing and public buildings in cities and villages. Open for proposals from solar power and architecture industry, the debut had received 87 applicants from both inside and outside of China, enjoying positive feedbacks from the industry.

In 2007, in conjunction of the Solar World Congress that was held in Beijing for the first time, the competition was highly valued by ISES and the congress committee, which incorporated the competition as an important part of the congress. Officially named "International Solar Building Design Competition", it became a bi-annual regular event in tandem with Solar World Congress. Setting different design theme each time, the event welcomes applicants from around the globe. At the request of ISES, the event's standing secretariat was established in China National Engineering Research Center For Human Settlements. In 2007, the competition was renamed Delta International Solar Building Design Competition because of the commencement of sponsorship from DEEF. Themed "Solar Power for My Home", the event addressed on the issues of solar applications in new rural development and small-and-medium-sized housing design. A total of 900 teams from 44 countries registered in the competition and the eventual submission of 201 proposals came from 16 countries in 4 continents, including China, US, and UK. An initial international academic exchange framework on solar architecture was thus created.

In the aftermath of the Wenchuan earthquake, the 2009 Delta International Solar Building Design Competition came up with a theme of "Sunshine and Hope". It opened in July 2008 for proposals on rural "Sunshine School" from around the world. A total of 1,024 teams from 33 countries registered and eventually 204 proposals came from 15 countries and areas, including China, US, and Russia. The judges completed the final review in March 2009 and the implementation of the award-winning projects was launched in June 2009 in Yangjia Townin Peicheng District of Mianyang in Sichuan, with the help of Delta Group's donation. The project has been put into use starting from 2010.

The 2011 Delta International Solar Building Design Competition focused on contemporary housing in China with a theme of "Low-carbon Life with Sunshine". It aimed to further explore the applications of solar architecture technique in modern housing, creating a low-carbon and yet still comfortable green lifestyle. A total of 183 proposals were submitted, with an overall higher standard and innovative characteristic. The top award was given to the School of Architecture of Southeast University, whose "Vertical Village" proposal, after optimization and elaboration, was put into practice with financial support from Delta Group. The intelligent green architecture located on the shore of Tongli Lake in Suzhou is a livable housing project that integrates Delta's intelligent system for buildings and energy solution, setting an example for Delta low-carbon demonstration project.

The 2013 Delta International Solar Building Design Competition was partnered with China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and Germany's GIZ. Based on the Sino-German low-energy public housing project, the competition focused on the improvement of energy saving of existing buildings. Using Hiser Hospital in Qingdao as an example, it demonstrated how clean technologies, such as solar power, and green architecture technique, could be effectively deployed in the renovation of existing building by realizing resource recycling and awaking the life of building with solar power. In this year, 665 teams from 12 countries registered and eventually a total of 102 qualified proposals were submitted, with a significantly improved standard compared to previous competitions.

The 2015 Delta International Solar Building Design Competition focused on new rural development, with a theme of "Sunshine and Beautiful Village" and two categories of Low Energy-Consumption Housing for Farmers in Qinghai Province, and Rural Housing Industrializations in the Residential Park, Huangshi City. Open for global contenders, the competition was aimed at applying clean energy such as solar power and green architecture techniques in massive rural development, inspiring a new kind of urbanization and urban-rural integration in China. A total of 1,232 teams from 12 countries were registered on the website this year, and 265 proposals, 250 of which were qualified, were submitted from Germany, Brazil, Italy, Canada, Egypt, Mainland China and Hong Kong (China), registering the record of most proposals received in the competition's history. Currently, the first, second and third-prize winning projects in the projects for Low Energy-Consumption Housing for Farmers in Qinghai Province are in the process of implementation in Tuergan Village in Huangyuan County of Qinghai.

Over the years, the numbers of proposals have gradually been increased and their quality improved, thus expanding the competition's influence and further highlighting its platform effect as it has progressively become a comprehensive platform for industry wisdom sharing, new energy application services, implementation of winner projects, innovative talent incubation, and the communications of low-carbon concept.

Delta Environmental & Educational Foundation

Delta Environmental & Educational Foundation (DEEF), registered in the US, was created in 2002 by Bruce Cheng, founder of Delta Group, a world-leading company in power electronics, energy management and smart green life. Its mission is to "dedicate to the environmental protection, advance science & technology innovation and the promotion of education, and drive the sustainable development of human society." Since its establishment, DEEF has sponsored research work at a number of famous universities in the US, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Case Western Reserve University, and University of Houston. It also has actively engaged in the support of electric and electronic research and the promotion of low-carbon environment protection in Mainland China. It serves as part of the foundation's effort to respond to the call for sustainable development, which is aimed at the maintenance and improvement of quality of public life while promoting economic growth.

For more information on the foundation's activities on environmental protection, low-carbon initiatives and technology education, please visit the official website of Delta Environmental and Educational Foundation: http://www.delta-foundation.org.cn/

SOURCE Delta Environmental & Educational Foundation

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