Drexel Metals Inc. donated all of the materials for the students at UMASS to install a cool energy efficient metal roof system on their Solar Decathlon home. The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon is an award-winning program that challenges collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency.
The first Solar Decathlon was held in 2002; the competition has since occurred biennially in 2005, 2007, and 2009. The 2011 event held its grand finale at the National Mall’s West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., Sept. 23–Oct. 2, 2011 when the public could tour the houses, gather ideas to use in their own homes, and learn how energy-saving features can help them save money today.
Purpose
The Solar Decathlon:
- Educates student participants and the public about the many cost-saving opportunities presented by clean-energy products
- Demonstrates to the public the opportunities presented by cost-effective houses that combine energy-efficient construction and appliances with renewable energy systems that are available today
- Provides participating students with unique training that prepares them to enter our nation’s clean-energy workforce.
Team Massachusetts designed the New England-inspired 4D Home for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011. This solar-powered prototype is an affordable, ultra-efficient house that can adapt to a family’s changing needs. The team hopes the 4D Home will serve as a precedent for home builders and designers creating sustainable homes in New England.
Design Philosophy
Team Massachusetts is concerned about the negative consequences of using nonrenewable energy sources for the built environment. Yet using renewable energy for buildings is successful only when baseline energy consumption is minimized through passive strategies. The 4D Home integrates efficient technology and passive strategies without compromising simplicity.
Features
4D Home demonstrates how dynamic interior spaces can make compact living viable for a small family. Features include:
- An exterior composed of fiber cement board and wood-clad windows
- Asymmetrical timber trellises that provide seasonal shading and a covered transition to the interior
- A two-bedroom layout that is easily reconfigured by two sliding partition walls
- Furniture, decor, and housewares designed and fabricated by student team members.
Technologies
Team Massachusetts has integrated efficient and easy-to-use technologies into 4D Home. These include:
- A 28-panel photovoltaic array of monocrystalline silicon cells that are 19.1% efficient
- Hybrid solar thermal panels mounted behind the photovoltaic modules for efficient heat transfer to the domestic hot water system
- Blown fiberglass and closed-cell polyurethane spray foam insulation for air tightness
- A refrigerator that uses less electricity per year than a 60-W lightbulb.
- A Drexel Metals Cool Metal Roof System complete with above deck venting!
For more information about Drexel Metals and the technologies used on this project, call 888.321.9630!
