A 1400 square foot house, complete with 3 bedrooms and 3 baths consumes no electricity at all and cools with ice made from sun!
This piece of imagination has been made believable by a team of students at the University of Colorado (CU).
As a part of the 2007 Solar Decathlon, on till 20 October, 2007, showcases 20 brilliant innovative concepts, portraying energy efficient solar technologies beyond boundaries.
With a challenge to build and operate the most livable, energy-efficient and completely solar-powered house, homes transported from United States including Puerto Rico, Canada, Germany and Spain; came not from experienced scientists but college students.
A solar village of sorts for public demonstration built at National Mall, Washington, D.C., where a design, developed by two times award wining team of 30 engineering and architecture students from CU showed how to make ice from power of the sun!
A well thought of 700 square feet competition module, built using a shipping container, has a kitchen, laundry, 3 bathrooms while taking care of basics like heating, cooling, water and electrical systems.
The use of photovoltaic cells (PV), which are integrated within the building itself, becomes the storage for energy to power the house. The system being water proof in nature collects the energy and supplies it for various uses with in the house.
8.8 kilowatts of PV paneling on the roof has the solar hot water system tank, underneath the panel. The cool effect of the water makes PVs even more efficient.
During winters, the panels heat water all day long to meet buildings heating requirements and store it in the tank for the night, when the need for heating is more.
In summer when cooling is required all day long, this flow is reversed with the help of a heat pump system.
The Solar thermal system on the roof, throws out the extra heat from the house. The heat pump uses this heat to make ice which will provide efficient cooling on hot days without using even an ounce of electricity.
In response to the ever increasing energy need around the globe, this system is an innovative design which is flexible to use power of the sun and electricity for those not so bright days.
With a sponsorship of $200,000, later on the design will be made available for public education and further research by private companies.
Via: Energysmart
