The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 Western New England University ,
Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, and Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana
team is seeking a blend in its Efficient, Affordable, Solar, Innovation—or
EASI—House.
A first-time Solar Decathlon entrant, the team wants its
project to reflect two geographical areas. The team also wants to ensure that
its modular home is both energy-efficient and affordable. In fact, the team is
aiming for a price tag of $80,000 to $100,000 for the structure—a goal made
realistic by working with a modular home company to help build the design.
“The primary aspect of the house we’re focusing on is the
affordability,” says decathlete Jacob Harrelson, the team’s project manager, on
campus at Western New England University
in Springfield , Massachusetts . “We’re making it a modular house
design so it can be picked up and taken anywhere you want. And within the
competition limits, we’re trying to keep it on the small side.”
Still, the team wants the compact two-bedroom, 680-ft2 house
to be comfortable even with a minimalist feel.
“We’re trying to build a house that’s reasonable for the
average Baby Boomers retiring or new family who still wants space for kids,”
says decathlete Nathan Lane ,
a civil engineering major and also the team project engineer.
As such, the team is trying to balance the space for living
rooms and bedrooms. The team is using space-saving furniture to maximize living
space and custom-designed, high-performance windows to maximize solar heat
gain.
The team will opt for a little more insulation in the walls,
but that could be cut back in locations with warmer climates (such as Central America ). Twenty 250-watt photovoltaic panels
mounted on the roof will provide solar energy for the ultra-efficient house.
One hope is that the design serves as a model for modular home
builders to replicate in the future—with the costs going down with increased
scale.
“It won’t be cookie-cutter. You can take the design and make
it your own,” Lane says.
Also, such a modular structure can be placed on a truck and
brought to the competition ready to be hooked up with minimal assembly.
The Central American students will contribute decoration and
other finishing touches for the inside. “They’re going to add interior
finishes,” Lane says. “That’s their culture in our project.”
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