German Team Wins Solar Home Competition (US Solar Decathlon)

[jpak]

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/tech/2007/oct/19/101903733.html

A team of students from Germany's Technische Universitat Darmstadt won a weeklong competition Friday on the National Mall for the best, most efficient and well-designed and -engineered solar home.

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The Solar Decathlon, sponsored by the Energy Department, required construction of an exclusively solar-powered home that uses no more electricity than is generated by its solar panels over a five-day period. The contest also required that power be available to drive a plug-in electric car.

The German team was cited for it use of passive heating and cooling, photovoltaics and its smooth integration of technology into the overall design of the one-bedroom home. A highlight of the house was a system of oak louvers on three sides that had solar cells imbedded into them, so they not only provided shade, but also power.

A team from the University of Maryland finished second and a team from Santa Clara University in California was third.

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[papau]

1. So where do we find the plans/characteristics/building material lists for these homes? n/t

[jpak]

2. here

http://www.solardecathlon.org/scores_standings.html#first

[papau]

3. Thanks - I sent them a request for any building info they may have :-)

:-)

[pscot]

4. The Germans are miles ahead of us on this stuff

The government put in place very tough standards for home builders 20 years ago. My brother-in-law was building manufactured homes in a small factory near Regensburg at the time. We visited in 1992 and he showed me around. The walls were built on an assembly line. They were a foot thick and packed with insulation. After they .were put up, they were sheathed in brick and stuccoed. The floors were toppped with a layer of cement poured over pipes for a radiant hot water heating system. The quality of the workmanship was very high. It was a real eye-opener.