Solar Decathlon
Problem statement
Homeownership is essential to providing stability, safety, and promoting good health. Unfortunately, house prices have been steadily increasing throughout the years, far outpacing wages. In Wisconsin, the “median home price rose 9.3 percent in February” [1] alone and continues to rise on a steady upward trend. Currently, many low-income aspiring homeowners cannot afford any of the houses on the market. Homeowners need inexpensive, energy efficient, and safe homes because they care about their financial security and the safety of their families. Energy efficient homes also promote a more sustainable lifestyle, which helps parents safeguard the planet for their children’s future. Picture a young family of four, crammed into a small two bedroom apartment, paying rent they can barely afford to a landlord who refuses to make any improvements to their unit. Their kids may be small enough for a while to make it work, but as they grow, that apartment won’t cut it. They need a house they can afford and low utility bills so that they can spend their money on food, medical necessities, schooling, and leisure activities. Across the United States in places like Texas and California, there have been power outages from communities trying to pull more power from the grid than the grid can supply. This home is an opportunity to be self-sufficient and not have to rely on an electrical grid, and maybe, even give back to the grid to help the rest of the neighboring community. There are many homes across the world that have implemented various elements of energy efficient or renewable energy producing technology; some even are “net-zero” homes that produce at least as much energy as they consume. But this is not a reality for most American communities, the cost to implement this is too high. To address this, the D.O.E runs the solar decathlon annually to ensure that this is a possible future by tasking students to “create energy efficient, affordable buildings powered by renewables” [2]. Last year, the team composed of students in the senior design course from UW-Madison, partnered with students from UW-Milwaukee, participated in the new home design competition. However, that home had an estimated cost of $300,000 to build, a price still out of reach for many families. We intend to employ similar technology into a much more affordable home, improving upon the design to maximize cost and energy savings.
Team members
Michael Meinke – leader
Joshua Hoyum – communicator
Jeremy Michael – accountant
Joshua Herche – admin
Client
Department of Energy Solar Decathlon