Two minutes

Engineering Iowa State's solar decathlon house

Mechanical engineering grad student Tim Lentz has been on the team for 18 months and now, it's his turn at bat. Iowa State's solar decathlon team is designing and building an energy-efficient solar powered house for a U.S. Department of Energy competition this fall.

With the architectural design complete and construction well under way, Lentz is up next with the engineering -- installing delicate photovoltaic and evacuated-tube solar collectors and plumbing and wiring. Lentz is no rookie. He coordinated the design of the engineering systems and knows them inside and out.

"Besides," he adds, "I earned a merit badge in plumbing in Boy Scouts and I can wire my electric guitar!"

Covering all the bases: Lentz's work on The Interlock House goes well beyond his title of project engineer. He loves to talk about the house through tours and presentations and on the team's online photo journal.

Least favorite task: Making cold calls to potential donors. "Sometimes it's scary. But once I've explained the project, they're generally excited and get on board. Then it's fun to develop a relationship with them."

On teaming with architecture students: "Designers approach things from a very different point of view. Their stuff is more hands on, mine is more theoretical, so that's kind of cool. I like the random, interesting things that they do."

Final inning: This fall, Lentz will spend three weeks in Washington, D.C., for the Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon (and a U2 concert). In between assembling, operating and disassembling the house on the National Mall, in Washington D.C., he hopes to see the Smithsonian and eat at local and ethnic restaurants.

ISU's Interlock House will win because: "Our engineering is superior!"

-- Teddi Barron