Santa Clara University to Begin Construction on Solar Decathlon House
June 14, 2007"Solar Decathlon House in the News" (Video Clip, 38sec)
After many months of planning and negotiations, a group of Santa Clara University students will soon break ground on the construction of its Solar Decathlon House, which will be part of a collegiate competition to build an energy efficient and environmentally-friendly house. The competition will be held in Washington, D.C., from Oct. 3-22, 2007 (http://www.eere.energy.gov/solar_decathlon/).
The blueprint and scale model shown in the photo below will soon be transformed into the real thing. The solar panels are ready for placement on top of the house, innovative bamboo joists are stacked and ready to be used, and the steel platform that will be used for the foundation of the house just arrived. In addition, Avago Technologies, which is one of the participating sponsors on the project, will soon deliver the LED lighting for the house.
“The Santa Clara University solar house will use a holistic and environmentally conscious design approach to produce a contemporary architectural solution using highly efficient and sustainable systems and materials,” said James Bickford, project manager. “The design of the Solar Decathlon House will integrate advanced and conventional active, and passive technologies such as photovoltaics (PV) for powering lighting, appliances, and a transportation vehicle. The house will also have solar thermal collectors to supply hot water, power an air-conditioning system, and a clothes dryer.
The Solar Decathlon House design will minimize energy conversions by incorporating low power DC systems in the living spaces. Moreover, these systems will maximize passive heating, cooling and lighting in the house by making use of Santa Clara University's innovative Smart Window concept. The house will be equipped with all the necessary appliances that a modern home requires in a temperate climate such as a refrigerator, air conditioner, washing and drying machines, a personal computer, oven, radio, and TV.
The Santa Clara team that will be working on the solar house includes 43 undergraduate engineers (20 mechanical, 15 electrical, 5 civil, and 3 computer), and 2 designers responsible for collateral materials. Construction of the building shell for the Solar Decathlon House is scheduled to be completed by the end of June followed by the installation and integration of the interior systems.
