Trojan® Batteries Power Homes of the Future

SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA- With concerns about the availability of fossil fuels and rising prices at the gas pump, the 2005 Solar Decathlon offered a timely way to showcase the need for alternative energy solutions. The annual event took place Oct. 7-16, 2005, at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and attracted more than 120,000 visitors who toured the village and walked through the homes. Eighteen colleges and universities from around the world were judged on ten contests to design, operate and build attractive and energy-efficient homes powered by solar energy systems. Trojan Battery Company was pleased to sponsor two teams this year --California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo and Florida International University.

The Cal Poly Team used 24 Trojan 8D-AGM batteries to store electrical energy produced by their photovoltaic (PV) array during the day so they would have electrical power available during the night - a necessity, as the house was not connected to the power grid.

According to Faculty Advisor, Jesse Maddren, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, "The batteries from Trojan worked great. In fact, we had very little sun during the competition week, so most of the power came from what was stored in the batteries before the competition started. Considering that we had one of the smaller power generation and storage systems, everyone was very happy with the third place finish."

The Florida International University had installed four Trojan 6V-AGM batteries for their photovoltaic bank but ended up swapping them into the main storage array. Some of the original batteries had run low on voltage, and the team nearly had to give up and run a generator, which would have garnered severe penalty points. Thanks to the additional power supplied by the swapped batteries, the FIU team went from nearly being disqualified to winning the Energy Balance category and taking 13th place in the overall competition.

"We're happy that both teams came away from the decathlon with positive experiences and that our batteries delivered the excellent performance we would expect; it's an incredible learning experience for the participants and it shows the general public what's possible in the very near future and what steps they can take towards energy independence. We can produce clean, renewable energy, and these students are leading the charge to make it a reality," said Tony Grace, Director of New Product Development at Trojan Battery Co.

For more information about renewable energy systems, or any of the Trojan's products, please call 800.423.6569. International callers please dial 562.946.8381. Or visit www.trojanbattery.com.