This month UI-7's Caroline Pahl checks out where the team is at, at the end of the semester and what's in store for summer.

The U of I Solar Decathlon team is currently transforming their Re_home from a house into a home.

Although the majority of construction happens at Homeway Homes, the team is responsible and in control of the home's design. The team chose to send their construction plans to Homeway Homes because it provides a controlled, indoor environment where the framing can be sent down the production line quickly and efficiently, without weather delays. This year's Re-home actually took less time to build at Homeway than last year's Gable Home. The Re_home has a simpler plan and is designed to be built quickly to suit the needs of victims of natural disasters.

In order to save money on labor costs and gain new valuable experience, the team decided to create the framing for the solar panels by themselves. This was the first time the team took on welding. Aside from having to flip the 400- pound structures over to be able to weld both sides, the team managed to get the job done without professionals.
The team will be finishing up the house mostly on their own from here on out.

"Homeway is doing the skeleton of the house for the most part and then we're adding all the bells and whistles and extras that makes it a home," Ethan Rattray, Member of the Architecture Team.

The home has been recently delivered to the U of I campus. Tune in next time for a deeper look into the delivery process.

Follow the team's progress on Twitter: Re_Home

UI-7 is documenting the progress of Team Illinois as they compete in the 2011 Solar Decathlon.