The University of Texas Bloom House places 2nd in E i i D i t th 2007 S l D thl !!Engineering Design at the 2007 Solar Decathlon !!

What is the Solar Decathlon?

• The Solar Decathlon is an international competition sponsored every two years by the U.S. Department of Energy

20 Universities compete to design build and operate the• 20 Universities compete to design, build and operate the world’s most attractive, energy-efficient solar-powered house

ENGINEERING: Energy Modeling

Design of Building Envelope:•Collaboration between Architect re and EngineeringArchitecture and Engineering Students

•Design iterations to optimize

Architectural models Energy-simulation models

shape and energy use

Solutions:•passive shadings

•positions and area of windows

insulation value•insulation value

•tightly sealed envelope

•high-performance windowg p

•position of solar collectorsDesign iterations

ENGINEERING: Energy Modeling

•Energy-efficient use of natural cooling

•Computer modeling for analysis of nat ral entilation

Air Volume flow rate

natural ventilation

1618

ACH [h-1]Air Volume flow rate (cooling potential)

Surface roughness68

101214

0246

Case 1 - sm all ve locity, Case 2 - lage ve locity,

40.1”large openings sm all openings

ENGINEERING: Mechanical Systems

UT t t f titi i i tUT strategy for a competitive engineering entry•well-balanced solutions

t d i d f id ti l•systems designed for residential owner-users•robust, simple, off-the-shelf components, innovative control

ENGINEERING: Solar Energy System

• photovoltaics integrated into house

tgeometry

• $70,000 award from Annual Solar Insolation vs. Tilt Angle

651700

AustinWashington

BP Solar

• 7 6-kW array to power

470

564598

617 622 612

588 550

500476 498

509 508

495500

600

lar

Inso

latio

ns

tu/h

r*ft2 )

WashingtonMonthly Opt.

7.6 kW array to power house and electric car

• solar angle optimized 470434 440

374

442476 495

390

338300

400

Annu

al S

o(k

Bt• solar angle optimized for Austin and Washington, DC

3000 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Tilt Angle of Surface Facing South

ENGINEERING:Hot-WaterSystem

•powered by hot-water solar collectors

- evacuated-tube technology

id f•provides energy for:

- domestic hot water

-hot-water floor heatinghot water floor heating

•innovative control system

ENGINEERING: Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning

•air conditioning by ductless mini-split system heat pump

minimal losses from- minimal losses from leakage and ducts

- precise temperature control in both zones of the house

- operation coordinated with hot-water floor heating

•fresh air and air-quality control by heat-recovery ventilation system

ENGINEERING: Structural Design

•Challenges•transportation loading•high live load•low soil capacity in DC•no interior shear walls•deployable structure

•Design•steel mobile-home chassis

•short assembly time

•steel moment-frame structure to resist lateral loads•structural insulated panel (SIP) walls •collapsible solar-panel rack system•deployable foundation

• created by students

ENGINEERING: Structural Designcreated by students

• designed by students• computer-modeled by students• financed through studentsg• scheduled by students• constructed by students• presented by students

ENGINEERING:

2nd Place2nd Placewww.utsolard.org

The Solar Decathlon provides high level exposure for UT and thehigh-level exposure for UT and the CAEE with more than 300,000 visitors and many sponsors