Direct gain in the 2013 Solar Decathlon?

Doug Kalmer writes:

>Do you really believe that when EVERY ONE of the 19 entries in this years Solar Decathlon uses Direct Gain passive solar just for the "visual appeal"?

I wonder what that means. There were 20 teams and 19 entries this year, including...

ASU/UNM, in which

>Phase-change material distributed throughout the house stores thermal energy and buffers temperature fluctuations by redistributing the energy as passive heating and cooling.

>The capillary radiant system in the ceiling, working with the phase-change materials in the floors, passively charges at night while the ceiling mechanics shift the peak load.

Las Vegas, in which

>Solar thermal collectors provide radiant floor and water heating.

Missouri, in which

>A mixed-mode residential HVAC system marries the automation system and the house HVAC system.

>A radiant heating system with tubes beneath the concrete floor circulates water to heat the interior space from the bottom up.

Norwich, in which

>A mini-split heat pump HVAC system with a single supply diffuser provides widely available, compact, and easily serviceable heating and cooling

Santa Clara, in which

>The radiant heating and cooling system embedded in the ceiling drywall uses radiant panels to heat the house with hot water or cool the house with cold water—ensuring a uniform environment.

>As part of the water heating and storage system, a solar thermal panel supplies heat to a tank containing organic phase-change material.

Sci-Arc/Caltech, in which

>The HVAC system uses state-of-the-art solar water heating technology with solar thermal evacuated tube collectors to maintain a comfortable interior temperature.

Stanford, in which

>A heat-recovery ventilator works with an efficient heating/cooling system, automated windows, phase-change materials, energy-efficient ceiling fans, and a tri-zone ductless mini-split system

Austria, in which

>A heat-recovery ventilator works with an efficient heating/cooling system, automated windows, phase-change materials, energy-efficient ceiling fans, and a tri-zone ductless mini-split system

DC, in which

>A unique under-floor heating and cooling distribution system supplies air at floor-level from ductwork connected to a central air handler

Ontario, in which

>An integrated mechanical system provides space heating, cooling, dehumidification, and domestic hot water through a single system.

Texas, in which

>A ductless radiant heating and cooling system circulates fully as a closed loop of radiant heat.

So Cal, in which

>A combination heat pump system provides heating, cooling, and domestic hot water, and

West Virginia, in which

>The climate-control system enables room-by-room temperature and lighting adjustments. Through smart HVAC technology, users can set different zoning preferences without disturbing the settings of other rooms.

Oodles of PVs, of course. Oddly enough, none of the entries touted simple direct gain solar heating with its refreshing sub-freezing indoor temperatures after 2 cloudy days in a row.

Nick