Project

Virginia Tech's Lumenhaus Won Solar Decathlon Europe 2010

The Solar Decathlon Europe 2010 was a competition among nineteen top universities from France, Germany, Spain, Finland, UK, USA, and China participating in Madrid (June 2010). The Solar Decathlon challenges the collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. Eco-Structure Magazine reported that "the winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. In a turn of events following back-to-back wins by European teams in the U.S. Department of Energy’s biennial Solar Decathlon, an American team took top honors in the Solar Decathlon Europe 2010 competition. Lumenhaus, the entry from Virginia Tech was named the most efficient entry of the inaugural European competition. It was the first win for Virginia Tech after participating in the 2002, 2005, and 2009 U.S. Solar Decathlons. The only other American team competing in the 17-team event, the University of Florida, received an online public choice award, decided by an Internet voting campaign. Lumenhaus edged out the second place finisher, team Ikaros-Bavaria from the University of Applied Sciences Rosenheim, Germany, by one point. Inspired by the Farnsworth House by Mies van der Rohe, the 800-square-foot Lumenhaus features a rectangular open plan. The steel frame is topped by structural insulated roof panels that support an array of 45 grid-tied solar panels. The north and south walls are constructed entirely of glass and are buffered from the outdoors by the Eclipsis System, an automated system of sliding screens that include stainless steel shutter screens and aerogel-filled translucent insulating polycarbonate panels. It is designed to maximize daylight so that no electric light is needed during the day. To the south, the circular shade perforations of the shutter panels are designed to block direct sunlight while maintaining exterior views and interior privacy. To the north, the perforations are more porous to allow more sunlight. Energy collected during the day is then used at night through an LED system built into the Eclipsis System panels. Other sustainable features include an automated geothermal heat-pump system, radiant flooring, low-VOC paints, Energy Star appliances, and materials made with recycled content, containing low embodied energy, or made from rapidly renewable materials."

As with the original event in the USA, the Solar Decathlon Europe competition is an international competition among universities around the world with the goal of advancing the knowledge and dissemination of industrialized, solar and sustainable housing. The competition is going on now in Madrid (June of 2010). The 19 prototypes, designed and built by the participating universities, will be assembled and displayed there.The goals of the contest are:

1. To raise awareness of the students participating in the competition of the various benefits and opportunities offered by the use of renewable energies and energy efficient construction, challenging them to think creatively about energy and how it affects our everyday lives.

2. To educate the general public about renewable energy, energy efficiency, and the technologies available to help them reduce their power consumption. The event also aims to raise societys awareness of the need for responsible energy use in home construction.

3. To encourage the use of solar technologies and to distribute them more quickly to the market, taking advantage of the interest generated by students, and to contribute to the development of energy efficient technologies and energy production, all of which is incorporated into an architecturally attractive house.

4. To clearly demonstrate that you can build high performance solar homes without sacrificing energy efficiency or comfort, and that they can be both attractive and affordable.

Arts et Métiers Paris Tech

Fachhochschule fur Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin

Bergische Universität Wuppertal

Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera

Ecole National Supérieure d’architecture de Grenoble

Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences

Aalto University, Finland

Instituto de Arquitectura Avanzada de Cataluña

University of Applied Sciences Rosenheim

Tianjin University

Universidad de Sevilla

Universidad de Valladolid