Every two years, the U.S. Department of Energy hosts the Solar Decathlon competition, where 20 teams from universities in the United States and abroad design, build and operate 800 square foot houses that showcases sustainable and renewable design elements and run entirely on solar energy.

The teams ship their partially constructed homes to the National Mall, in Washington D.C., where they assemble the 20 solar homes, becoming a temporary “Solar Village”.  At the Village students will have to perform everyday tasks, such as cooking, doing the laundry, and even washing dishes, to test the energy efficiency of their homes.

The public is invited to observe the powerful combination of solar energy, energy efficiency, and the best in home design from October 9-13 and 15-18.

Just as the Olympic Decathlons, the houses will contest and scored in 10 categories:

1. Architecture — 100 points (subjective)
2. Market Viability — 100 points (subjective)
3. Engineering — 100 points (subjective)
4. Lighting Design — 75 points (subjective)
5. Communications — 75 points (subjective)
6. Comfort Zone — 100 points (objective)
7. Hot Water — 100 points (objective)
8. Appliances — 100 points (objective)
9. Home Entertainment — 100 points (objective)
10. Two part Net Metering — 150 points (objective) during which teams are rated for the balance on their energy production.  They will receive a bonus for producing more energy than their home consumes.
     

ZEROW HOUSE from Rice University
Texas Representation at 2009 the Solar Village and the Solar Decathlon

From Africa to the Caribbean to the southern United States, "shotgun" houses have been home to low- and middle-income families for centuries. Building on this tradition, Houston's Rice University Solar Decathlon team offers the ZEROW HOUSE, a modern interpretation of a row house that incorporates affordable, practical energy-saving solutions.

The ZEROW HOUSE adopts the row-house typology, specific to the urban fabric of Houston’s Third Ward community, as a primary precedent.  The design addresses the small size and limited budget of typical row houses through replication, innovative use of current technologies, local materiality, and an understanding of life-cycle costs. The ZEROW HOUSE will be able to produce all the energy needed for its operation on-site, using a photovoltaic array and solar hot water system to collect solar energy.

The basic concept consists of two plug-in components: the WET CORE and the LIGHT CORE. The wet core contains all systems associated with water and energy. The light core serves as the primary source for day lighting and as an exterior extension of the living space.

Instead of building a house just for the competition, the team designed a home they could give back to the community.   After the competition the house will be transported back to Houston’s Third Ward community and will be donate it to Project Row Houses.   Project Row Houses is a community-based public art project in Houston’s Third Ward. It encompasses art and cultural activities, education, social services, historic preservation, and community development.

The Team

The Rice Solar Decathlon team is a student-led project between the Rice Schools of Architecture and Engineering. More than 150 people have been involved with the development of the home over the duration of the project. And despite the elective nature of the project, in what Faculty Advisor Danny Samuels calls an "incredible team approach with incredible team spirit," some students sustained their contributions throughout their undergraduate work.

Some members of the team have been preparing for the 2009 Decathlon since January 2006.

The House

The team's goal is a practical house that demonstrates affordability and energy efficiency using readily available technologies.

Team members chose appliances that minimize electricity use and reduced the house's total energy use for lighting fixtures to the equivalent of three 100-watt light bulbs. At 4.2 kW, the house's photovoltaic (PV) array is appropriately sized for the expected load of the house—no more, no less.

The house receives the majority of its natural lighting from the "light core," a glass-encased volume inserted into the house that acts as an exterior extension of the living space. A "light cove" provides a wash of light along one wall achieved with state-of-the-art LED (light-emitting diode) strips attached to the walls and ceilings. The team believes that a dynamic integration between architecture and engineering makes the house feel larger than its 520 ft² (48.31 m²).

The Technology

The community seems to agree. The team finished its house early so it could give tours and get impressions from local visitors. People say the house doesn't feel small and that they'd like to live in it. And at a cost of $125,000, the house is marketable to Houston's lower-income families. The team is proud of meeting its cost target—the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development guidelines of affordability at 80% of the area's median income.

Team members sum up their Solar Decathlon experience by saying that, although excited about the competition, they're also looking forward to the day when—win, lose, or draw—they bring their house home to Houston.

House Highlights

A wet core, designed with prefabrication and unitary construction in mind, that bundles all the water and energy systems in one 8-by-10-ft (2.4-by-3-m) space

A light core that brings natural light into the house and serves as a flexible extension of the living space into the outdoors

A green wall that features native plants such as coral honeysuckle and star jasmine to unite the house with its surroundings and contribute to passive cooling

A PV racking system designed to eliminate roof penetration

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