Energy Efficiency Project Shows Off Power Of Networking

Beating The Heat

Heat was an especially difficult problem at the Solar Decathlon, but Consiliant used a decidedly low-tech solution - cardboard - to beat the heat and help ensure smooth operations.

In addition to keeping the interior of the command center to a livable temperature, cardboard was also on hand for other potential issues, Balas said.

The outside temperature reached about 105 degrees Fahrenheit on one day, and 10 of the 11 Brocade 6450c12 approached critical heat. "We had no problems," he said. "But we were ready to use cardboard to shade them."

The switches sustained heat of up to 168.8 degrees for a few hours at one point, Garcia's said. "It was a testimony to the quality of the Brocade switches," he said.