2017 International Solar Building Design Competition, sponsored by Delta Foundation, Launched in Beijing

BEIJING, June 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2017 edition of the International Solar Building Design Competition sponsored by the Delta Environmental and Educational Foundation (DEEF), was officially launched in Beijing on June 16, 2016. In light of the global challenge of aging population, the competition's theme promotes sustainable buildings capable of enhancing the wellbeing of senior citizens. The competition's executive committee has selected Shanxi's Xian and Fujian's Dehua as locations for the building of two new residences for the elderly respectively, thus, inviting optimized architectural design proposals from all over the world to participate in the event. The proposals should integrate appropriate renewable energy technologies, such as solar power as a sustainable energy source for buildings. The competition is aimed at creating a safe, healthy, convenient and green new lifestyle.

A number of honorable guests were present at the kick-off ceremony, jointly announcing the two projects for the 2017 contest. The guests included Feng Jun, vice chairman and secretary-general of China Real Estate Association, Xiu Long chairman of the Architectural Society of China and chairman of China Construction Technology Consulting, Wu Qiufeng, inspector at China National Committee on Aging, Lee Baoshan, secretary-general of the China Renewable Energy Society (CRES), Meng Xiangan, vice chairman of CRES, Bruce Cheng, chairman of the DEEF, Tian Yongying, executive director of the World Bank's China Urban Scale Building Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Project, Zhong Jishou, chairman of CRES's Special Committee of Solar Buildings.

Bruce Cheng, founder and honorary chairman of Delta Group as well as chairman of the DEEF, said: "Delta has proactively carried out social responsibility as an international corporate citizen and has constantly focused on the climate change issue. Since 2006, the group has sponsored this competition for 6 consecutive times. At the same time, we have used our own energy-saving technologies and solutions to create "smart green buildings" and actively advocated the adoption of renewable technologies and green building concepts, such as solar power. We have constructed, donated, or helped build 22 green buildings around the world, including 4, completed or under construction, that are based on award-winning projects from the competition, putting into practice our corporate mission "To provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow.".

The realization of laureled projects has characterized the competition, and the tradition will be continued in 2017.

Jointly held by the International Solar Energy Society (ISES), CRES, and the Specialty Guidance Committee of the Architectural Discipline in National Institutions of Higher Learning, the 2017 International Solar Building Design Competition is carried out by the China National Engineering Research Center For Human Settlements and the Special Committee of Solar Buildings under CRES, with the DEEF as the sole official sponsor and China Architecture Design Group as the co-sponsor. The contest aims to promote the application of renewable energy, such as solar power in buildings to realize a meaningful impact on people's daily lives and to disseminate the low-carbon concept. As the search for alternative clean energy solutions is under way, the competition hopes to change people's behavior and thinking on energy use at the same time so as to create a lifestyle that is energy-saving, low-carbon, environmentally friendly, and sustainable.

The competition has been held 6 times, progressively extending its influence as a comprehensive platform for the sharing of industry wisdom, promotion of new energy applications, realization of winning projects, cultivation of innovative talent, and dissemination of the low-carbon concept. Instituted in continuity, the global contest has, over the years, received a total of 1,032 qualified proposals from 5,537 teams from more than 90 countries. Not only has the quality of proposals been gradually improved, winning projects also have been implemented, serving as model for the industry. They include the Delta Sunshine Elementary School in Yangjiazhen (built following the Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan) and the Delta Sunshine Junior High School in Longmen, the Low Carbon Emissions Residence in Wujiang, Jiangsu (main body construction has been completed), and the Low Energy-Consumption Housing for Farmers in Qinghai (soon to be completed). Not only do the projects help develop a large pool of professional talent, they also stand as a valid engineering model for the promotion of the green building concept.

The Competition launch coincides with the "Delta Green Building Exhibition" which is held in Building A, Academy of Arts and Design, Tsinghua University in Beijing (June 14~26). In addition, an exhibition presenting winning projects and the realized projects over the past decade called "Ten-Year Achievements of the International Solar Building Design Competition", is held in Building No.1 at the China Architecture Design Group (June 7~July 8).

About the International Solar Building Design Competition sponsored by Delta Environmental and Educational Foundation

In order to pursue social progress and comfortable life conditions, people have constantly consumed massive amount of energy and grown accustomed to it. The environmental pollution and energy waste, however, have become unbearable, rending the planet fragile. To cope with the crisis, mankind needs to search for alternative clean energy solutions, and, more importantly, change the way people consume energy to create a lifestyle that is energy-saving and sustainable.

The International Solar Building Design Competition is sponsored by the Delta Environmental and Educational Foundation (DEEF). Jointly held by the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) and the China Renewable Energy Society (CRES), the competition is aimed at promoting the application of clean energy such as solar power in buildings and our daily life and disseminating energy-saving environmental concepts. Academic competition is one of the most effective forms to attract the attention of the architecture industry, particularly future architects and engineers, toward solar-powered buildings. Since 2005, the Special Committee of Solar Buildings under the CRES and the China National Engineering Research Center for Human Settlements has jointly organized the solar building design competition, creating an international platform for academic exchanges of solar building technologies.

Over the years, the number of proposals have gradually increased and their quality improved, thus expanding the competition's influence to become a comprehensive platform for industry wisdom sharing, new energy applications, implementation of winning projects, innovative talent incubation, and the promotion of the low-carbon concept.

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

In 2007, held in Beijing for the first time in conjunction with the Solar World Congress, the competition was highly valued by the ISES and the Congress Committee, which included the competition as an important part of the conference. Officially named "International Solar Building Design Competition", it has been, in tandem with the Solar World Congress, institutionalized as a bi-annual event, setting different themes each time and opened for applicants from around the globe. Entrusted by the ISES, the competition's standing secretariat has been established in the China National Engineering Research Center for Human Settlements. In 2007, the DEEF started its sponsorship of the competition. Its theme, "Solar Power for My Home", addressed the issues of solar applications in new rural and small-and-medium-sized housing designs. A total of 900 teams from 44 countries registered in the competition and 201 proposals were sent from 16 countries in 4 continents, including Mainland China, USA, Canada, Italy, UK, The Netherlands, Iran, Russia, and Egypt. An international academic exchange framework on solar-powered architecture was initially created as a result.

The 2009 competition adopted the "Sunshine and Hope" theme, dedicating efforts for the reconstruction of a school following the Wenchuan earthquake. Opened in July 2008 for proposals from around the world, it received registrations from 1,024 teams in 33 countries and 204 proposals from 15 countries, including Mainland China, USA, Canada, Mexico, Italy, Portugal, France, Russia, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Czech, Poland, Japan, and Iran. The final review was completed by the judge panel in March 2009 and the implementation of the award-winning project was launched in June 2009 in Yangjia Town in Mianyang in Sichuan, with the help of Delta's donation. The project has been put into use starting from 2010.

The 2011 competition, themed "Low-carbon Life with Sunshine", focused on contemporary housing in Mainland China. It aimed at exploring the applications of solar-powered building architecture techniques in modern housing for a low-carbon and comfortable green lifestyle. A total of 183 proposals were submitted, with an overall higher standard and innovation level. Following previous practice, the first prize, a proposal made by the School of Architecture of Southeast University, was, after optimization, implemented on the shore of Tongli Lake in Suzhou with the financial support from Delta.

The 2013 competition was based on a Sino-German low-energy public housing project jointly held by China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and Germany's GIZ. It focused on the improvement of energy conservation in existing buildings. Using Hiser Hospital in Qingdao as a sample, it demonstrated how clean technologies, such as solar power, and green building techniques, could be effectively deployed in the renovation of existing buildings by realizing resource recycling and solar power. 665 teams from 12 countries registered and 102 qualified proposals were submitted, with a significantly improved standard compared to previous competitions.

The 2015 competition, themed "Sunshine and Beautiful Village", focused on new rural development, with two categories of Low Energy-Consumption Housing for Farmers in Qinghai Province, and Rural Housing Industrializations in the Residential Park, Huangshi City. Open to 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 Mainland China. A total of 1,232 teams from 12 countries were registered on the website, and 265 proposals, 250 of which were qualified, were submitted. This is the highest record in the competition's history. Currently, the first, second and third-prize winning 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.

About Delta Environmental and Educational Foundation

The Delta Environmental and Educational Foundation (DEEF), registered in the US, was created in 2002 by Bruce Cheng, founder of the Delta Group, a global leader power and thermal management solutions. 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, the 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