Beneath the continual roar of jets overhead, the Middlebury Solar Decathlon team was exhausted, yet jubilant, on Tuesday, Sept. 20, as they passed the final inspection for their home in West Potomac Park on the Mall in Washington, D.C. Upon reassembling the house, which they transported on trucks from Middlebury, the team went through several rigorous inspections for safety and operation of the house. Team Midd was among the first three to have completed everything and earn a stamp of approval from the judges, which means they’re ready to open the house to the public. At the last Solar Decathlon, an estimated 300,000 people toured the solar village on the Mall in D.C.
We checked in with the team to see how they were doing after week 1: