The contest evaluates the operation, performance and efficiency of the electric appliances in their daily operation while reproducing the average energy use of a modern home. Decathletes aim to maximise the performance of their house while complying with the demanding standards of present-day society.
Although the SDE19 Organisers encourage Teams to consider innovative solutions seeking the maximised performance of all appliances, the evaluation addresses only quantitative results. While it may sound easy to operate a smart home, any slight temporary error in the highly controlled, yet complex systems, can threaten the completion of the tasks and result in lower ranking in the overall Competition.
Points can be earned during multiple scoring periods. To rank the Teams, reduced point values per challenge are scaled linearly based on performance. For refrigeration and freezing, a continuous performance score is given. Water Balance is also evaluated by performance. For clothes washing and drying, dishwashing, oven, hot water draws, cooking and automation, the evaluation criterion is the completion of the task. The Dinner party receives points from fellow guests.
The refrigerator has to be used for storage of all food and beverages of the dinner contest. Its interior temperature has to be kept between 1°C and 4.5°C time-averaged. The washing machine has to operate automatically and provide an uninterrupted wash and rinse cycle within a specified time period where its internal temperature reaches 40°C at some point. All available points are earned if the total weight of the washed towels is equal or less than before operation. The choice of drying method is optional as it can be either active (e.g. machine) or passive (e.g. on a clothesline), or even a combination. The dishwasher’s internal temperature must reach 49°C at least once during its cycle while the oven’s temperature must reach 220°C during specified scored periods.
In terms of hot water, 50 litres have to be produced maximum 3 times per day, in 10 minutes per cycle, with a minimum average temperature of 43°C. In the kitchen, 2.3 litres of water has to be evaporated within a specified time period. Furthermore, Teams with lower water consumption will score higher at the end of the Competition weeks. The operation of entertainment electronics help to earn all the available points.
An important aspect of the exhibition is to show fully functioning homes. Teams will be happy to delve into details on how their house is ready to cater for everyday life in an energy efficient way.
