CU Students Go Solar
The CU Solar Decathlon team opens its solar powered, energy efficient house to the public
Elizabeth Barbot
Issue date: 4/24/08 Section: News
Welcome to the house of the future. CU students are helping lead the way toward a new way of home construction, by utilizing solar power, energy efficiency, and eco-conscious technologies.
Last October, CU sent a team of students to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy's annual Solar Decathlon in Washington D.C. The team, made up of thirty students from the engineering and architecture schools, were challenged to design and build a 700 square-feet house that was one hundred-percent solar powered.
Twenty national and international colleges and universities competed in the competition. Houses were judged not only for their energy-producing capabilities, but could also earn points for engineering, market viability, comfort and livability, and lighting. Additional categories included architecture, communications, appliances, hot water, and energy balance. Surplus energy in each house was used to charge an electric vehicle; the "getting around" category measured the mileage each car was able to get off a single charge. CU's car took first place.
Wayne Leonard, a master's candidate in civil engineering, explained one of the biggest challenges in designing the house: mobility. Because each house had to travel to Washington D.C., they had to be lightweight and easy to reconstruct. Leonard said one of the most innovative features of CU's house was the portability of the house's core, which contained all the electrical wiring and heating and cooling system, in a metal shipping container. "It can be shipped anywhere in the world, because the metal container is designed for seaworthiness, standard equipment can transport it. They're very portable," he said.
To stand out, CU's house incorporated environmentally friendly elements in the design. Eco-conscious building materials were used, and even the bed linens were made of organic cotton. "The woods are formaldehyde-free, sustainably harvested. The flooring is corkwood based with linseed oil...it's all very eco-conscious, green, friendly, a really pleasant environment to exist in," Leonard said.
According to the CU Solar Decathlon team's website, commercial and residential buildings use 40% of total energy consumed in the U.S. , and account for 70% of electricity use. Team members will be hosting tours of the house every Saturday through the end of May, and encourage visitors to learn about the future of solar power and sustainable living. The house is located on CU's east campus, off Innovation Drive.
More information can be found at the Solar Decathlon team's website.
Last October, CU sent a team of students to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy's annual Solar Decathlon in Washington D.C. The team, made up of thirty students from the engineering and architecture schools, were challenged to design and build a 700 square-feet house that was one hundred-percent solar powered.
Twenty national and international colleges and universities competed in the competition. Houses were judged not only for their energy-producing capabilities, but could also earn points for engineering, market viability, comfort and livability, and lighting. Additional categories included architecture, communications, appliances, hot water, and energy balance. Surplus energy in each house was used to charge an electric vehicle; the "getting around" category measured the mileage each car was able to get off a single charge. CU's car took first place.
Wayne Leonard, a master's candidate in civil engineering, explained one of the biggest challenges in designing the house: mobility. Because each house had to travel to Washington D.C., they had to be lightweight and easy to reconstruct. Leonard said one of the most innovative features of CU's house was the portability of the house's core, which contained all the electrical wiring and heating and cooling system, in a metal shipping container. "It can be shipped anywhere in the world, because the metal container is designed for seaworthiness, standard equipment can transport it. They're very portable," he said.
To stand out, CU's house incorporated environmentally friendly elements in the design. Eco-conscious building materials were used, and even the bed linens were made of organic cotton. "The woods are formaldehyde-free, sustainably harvested. The flooring is corkwood based with linseed oil...it's all very eco-conscious, green, friendly, a really pleasant environment to exist in," Leonard said.
According to the CU Solar Decathlon team's website, commercial and residential buildings use 40% of total energy consumed in the U.S. , and account for 70% of electricity use. Team members will be hosting tours of the house every Saturday through the end of May, and encourage visitors to learn about the future of solar power and sustainable living. The house is located on CU's east campus, off Innovation Drive.
More information can be found at the Solar Decathlon team's website.
Be the first to comment on this story