Good things come in small packages. Recently I was privileged to serve as a juror for the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon. The Solar Decathlon challenges collegiate teams to design, build and operate solar powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive. Each house could be no larger than 1,000 square feet, yet the students were able to create beautiful and comfortable homes. Small houses and lots are environmentally preferable in a number of ways, since they reduce the amount of materials needed to construct them as well as the amount of energy needed to heat, cool, and power the space. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency.
This year despite cloudy and rainy weather nearly half of the houses operated at net zero energy, which means that the energy generated by their solar arrays equaled or exceeded the energy they used. Techniques used to reduce the energy load included:
- Superior insulation, including thermally insulated windows
- Strategic window shading devices such as overhangs, trellises and shutters
- Efficient HVAC systems, often incorporating energy recovery units
- Efficient appliances and lighting
- Energy reporting and management systems that facilitate occupant control
The house is made more comfortable by reducing humidity with an innovative solar-thermal liquid-desiccant system developed by the university. Controlling humidity not only enables people to feel more comfortable at higher temperatures, it also discourages mold growth.
Photographs by Jim Tetro / U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon
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