Design of Net-zero Housing for the DOE Solar Decathlon Student Design Competition
Problem statement
Without question, the most pressing issue of our generation’s time on Earth is climate change. Here in Wisconsin, we see effects such as warmer temperatures causing harmful algal blooms on the Great Lakes; hotter, dryer summers decreasing crop yields and milk production; and more frequent extreme weather events like flooding [3]. However, lifestyle alterations to reduce household energy use are often met with great resistance due to misconceptions about “green living”. For instance, a former president mistakenly claimed that net-zero homes mean living with “no windows”. Additionally, upfront construction costs for energy-efficient homes being 7-8% more expensive than traditional homes are a deterrent for many homeowners and builders, though annual operating costs are less than a traditional home [4]. To give a background, the average single-family home in Wisconsin consumes 100 million Btu (~30000 kWh) of energy for all uses in a year [2]. Being in a cold weather climate, 71% of that energy usage is directed towards heating, while nearly all the rest (28%) is electric for lighting and appliances [2]. Seeing as more than 73% of Wisconsin’s utility-scale power generation comes from fossil fuels as well (coal ⅖, natural gas ⅓ ), it becomes apparent that there’s much to be done in our own state to offset the effects of climate change [3]. In reality, net-zero homes can offer an opportunity to reduce energy emissions while allowing one to live comfortably without having to drastically change their lifestyle. We, as a team, have joined the DOE Solar Decathlon Design Competition in which we will be working with a group of architectural students from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to design our own net zero home at a site here in Wisconsin. We have multiple unique clients: our architects, contractors, future homeowners, and the competition itself. It will be imperative that we work closely with all of these people and entities to obtain a design that is practical and feasible to build, modern and desirable to live in, effective in purpose and cost, and most of all worthy of winning the competition.
Team members
Sammie Lundin – leader
Kirk Mendoza – communicator
Forrest Ahrens – accountant
Evan Fernandez – admin
Client
US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon