A Mother's Gift: Energy Independence Through SunPower Solar Discovery Game

October 31, 2011 | Email this

We’re very excited today to announce the Grand Prize winner of the 2011 SunPower Solar Discovery Game, an online contest and sweepstakes promoting solar education and energy awareness hosted on our Facebook page. Drum roll please…

The winner of the 2011 Solar Discovery Game and a SunPower solar energy system worth $25,000 is …

Ewa Fietkiewicz of Anaheim, California!

Ewa was victorious in the contest which attracted more than 4,200 participants representing all 50 U.S. states. She won by answering all 209 questions correctly and collecting every bonus point in the game. Her speed in answering tiebreaker questions made Ewa the ultimate winner. She completed the tiebreaker in a little over 15 minutes – four minutes faster than the runner-up!

Remarkably, Ewa is gifting the system to her son, Jakub Fietkiewicz, a resident of Glendale, California and father of two boys, ages nine and ten.

We recently visited Ewa and Jakub at Jakub’s house in beautiful Glendale to congratulate them in person and learn about Ewa’s Solar Discovery Game journey and Jakub’s feelings about getting a SunPower system that will help significantly reduce his electricity costs as well as his family’s carbon footprint.

Ewa is a cataloger of archival materials at a prestigious Southern California university. During our conversation, Ewa explained that her personality and skill set helped her win. “I am a perfectionist. I make sure whatever I do is right. Also, a part of my job is research, so I was able to find the answers quickly,” she said.

Ewa explained that, before the contest, she was not very familiar with the solar industry, so she had to be particularly attentive and meticulous. “Learning interesting facts about solar energy and the solar industry kept me playing. For instance, I had no idea Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in photovoltaics. I was also surprised to learn that many companies and government agencies around the world use solar energy to reduce carbon emissions and save millions of dollars.”

Jakub was smitten by his mom’s great gift, a SunPower home energy system worth $25,000. “We are an energy conserving family. I bike to work as much as I can. We compost and only have native plants in our garden to save water. We use energy saving light bulbs and don’t use air conditioning during the hot Southern California summers. Even so, we have not been able to reduce our monthly electricity bill below $400 a month,” he said.

Jakub is not new to solar. He had considered getting a system for his home and thought SunPower would be the best option.

He added, “I met a SunPower dealer at a local street fair who told me that SunPower panels are the most efficient on the market. I did my research and learned more about the SunPower difference and the importance of solar efficiency.”

As a result of his research, Jakub has opted to install a system that’s larger than the $25,000 system his mom has gifted to him!

“Thanks to SunPower’s panel efficiency, we can invest in a few more panels and increase the system capacity on our roof. As our sons grow up, our energy consumption is likely to increase. Also, we are considering buying an electric vehicle, which we would be able to charge with our home solar system.”
Jakub plans to use the money he saves on electricity bills for his kids’ education.

SunPower Premier Dealer SolarMAX Technology, Inc. of City of Industry, Calif. will install the system on Jakub's Glendale home.

Congratulations to both Ewa and Jakub!

Check out the video below to meet with Ewa and Jakub and SunPower’s Chris Abess, who presented them with the prize.

Make a Comment

Posted in:

Tags:

SunPower , energy independence , solar energy education , solar energy awareness , solar contest , solar discovery game , discovery game , solar system installation , solar panel efficiency

Easy Math: California Schools Save With SunPower

by Bill Kelly, October 27, 2011 | Email this

Schools across California are installing solar power systems to significantly reduce operating expenses. In fact, with assistance from the California Solar Initiative (CSI), the State of California's solar rebate program, K-12 schools and higher education institutions will save an estimated total of $1.5 billion. Schools are using the savings to enrich their curriculum or make needed facilities upgrades. They are also taking the opportunity to educate the next generation about where our energy comes from and the benefits of renewable energy.

The recently launched Solar Schools Program, a partnership between SunPower and California School Board Association (CSBA), is expanding the assistance offered to school districts in developing efficient solar projects at their schools. CSBA is a non-profit representing nearly 1,000 school districts throughout California. The program helps schools save money on energy and effectively utilize federal and state incentives to garner the greatest return on their solar investment.

SunPower was selected by the CSBA as its partner primarily because of our extensive experience working with public schools in California. To date, we’ve installed solar power systems at more than 100 schools across the state. We understand the unique environments in which school administrators and teachers work, and assist school districts by providing them with a complete solar energy system solution including financing, design, construction and long-term operations and maintenance. SunPower is a ‘one-stop-shop’ that provides school districts with a single source of responsibility and expertise, and the most efficient and reliable solar technology available today.

I am frequently asked by administrators if solar would make sense for their school. In response, I give them three questions to consider:

Do your facilities have available space for a solar installation? Most schools are great candidates for solar because they have underutilized, unshaded rooftop or parking lot space that is perfect for solar.
How much do you spend on electricity each year? Schools spend a significant amount of their annual operating budgets on electricity, which can be reduced by generating their own solar power during peak demand hours.
At what times of year are you using the most electricity? Electric usage peaks during the school year. In summer, schools have a lower electric load. In states that have net metering like California, schools can benefit by generating excess electricity during the summer when rates are higher and usage is lower. The power their systems generate is then credited to them at a higher rate than the rate at which they are often consuming the power during the school year.

It’s very rewarding to see a school take advantage of the opportunities to combine a solar project with their educational mission. During a solar installation, many schools supplement their regular curriculum with teaching about sustainability, renewables and solar energy. SunPower supports these efforts by partnering with a group called “Project Lead the Way.” Together, we develop a curriculum that focuses on clean energy practices to inspire the next generation to become involved and support sustainable practices.

If you want to see schools in your area go solar, first learn about your school district’s interest in solar. Then attend a school board meeting and speak up about the benefits of solar and the assistance provided through the Solar Schools Program.

In a recent video interview, I highlighted the work that SunPower is doing with schools, teachers and students to promote solar at California’s schools:

The Solar Schools program is a ground breaking project that not only puts more public school dollars towards students and teachers, but also helps educate high school students on clean technology. To find out more about SunPower’s solar solutions for schools, visit our webpage, or leave a comment below.

Bill Kelly
Managing Director, SunPower Corporation
San Jose, CA, United States

Make a Comment

Posted in:

About SunPower ,Commercial Installations

Tags:

california solar initiative , california school board association , solar solutions for schools , schools program , solar schools , solar school , school district , public schools

C7 Tracker Rocks Solar Power International Show, Offering the Lowest Levelized Cost of Electricity for Utility-Scale Solar

by David Henry, October 20, 2011 | Email this

At midnight, Monday night, the word was out: The new SunPower C7 Tracker was unveiled. As the solar industry gathered in Dallas for Solar Power International (SPI) this week, they sure talked up this new concentrated PV tracking system. The SunPower^®C7 Tracker concentrates the sun’s power seven times, delivering the lowest levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for utility-scale power plants – up to 20 percent lower than competing technologies.

Who’s behind this high-efficiency, cost effective C7 Tracker technology? The credit goes to SunPower President Emeritus Dick Swanson, Ph.D., whose vision for solar concentrator-based power plants stretches back four decades.

When the “first” energy crisis swept the U.S. in the 1970s, Dr. Swanson dreamed of constructing solar power plants in arid desert regions of the American Southwest. In those locales, he believed, the U.S. could easily convert the sun’s energy into usable power, and help reduce the country’s (and the planet’s) dependence on fossil fuels. However, Dr. Swanson was far ahead of the game. The market for utility-scale solar plants would not mature for many years. So SunPower changed course and adapted the high efficiency solar cell it had developed for concentrators for use in traditional flat solar panels —the most efficient panels on the market today.

Fast forward to year-end 2010, when the global cumulative installed solar capacity reached 40 gigawatts. As the demand for solar around the world has grown, so has the demand for solar power plants. We built the world’s first 10-megawatt solar power plant in 2004 in Germany, and SunPower will have more than 400 megawatts of power plants operating around the world by the end of 2011. All of these plants have used solar panels on single-axis trackers.

For the past three years, however, our development teams have had lengthy dialogues with utility companies and solar power plant developers, assessing their needs. In response, SunPower engineers – who have unparalleled expertise in cells, modules, trackers, electronics and performance – collaborated in crafting a concentrated tracking product that leverages a decade of experience in reliable tracking systems and delivers the best economics over the long term. On October 18, with the release of the C7 Tracker, their efforts came to fruition… and Dr. Swanson’s dream became reality.

The Reflection of SunPower High Efficiency Cells off of the C7

A SunPower Engineer Assembling the C7 Tracker

Easy Installation of Modular Designed Cells for the C7 Tracker

Mirrors Ready for Installation onto the C7 Tracker

Reflection of the Sky off the C7 Tracker

If you haven’t yet read the details, here’s a look at this exciting new product. And if it’s time to get your solar power plant project on track, talk to SunPower. High output for the lowest levelized cost – that’s the C7 Tracker.

David Henry
Chief Marketing Officer, SunPower Corporation
San Jose, CA, United States

Make a Comment

Posted in:

SunPower Products and Services ,About SunPower

Tags:

cpv ,power plant ,LCOE ,SunPower C7 Tracker ,concentrated solar ,solar cell efficiency

The SunPower C7 Tracker: The Power of 7 Suns, the Lowest LCOE

by David Henry, October 18, 2011 | Email this

A seismic shift in the solar industry has just taken place. Did you feel it?

Today, the SunPower C7 Tracker made its debut. This isn’t a routine product introduction – for utility and power plant owners and operators, it is a game-changer.

The C7 Tracker multiplies the sun’s energy by 700 percent, delivering the lowest Levelized Cost of Energy for utility-scale solar power plants – up to 20 percent lower than competing technologies. Combining a horizontal, single-axis tracker with rows of parabolic mirrors that reflect light onto SunPower’s highest-efficiency solar cell receivers, the C7 delivers unprecedented solar power production. With C7 Tracker technology, a 400-megawatt power plant requires less than 70 megawatts of SunPower solar cells.

Components of the C7 Tracker can be manufactured locally, creating new employment opportunities in addition to the jobs created to build and operate a new solar plant. The new SunPower C7 Tracker is also upgradeable. As solar cell technology evolves and improves, cells can be easily and cost-effectively replaced with newer, more powerful cells.

What’s a better investment than SunPower’s proven, reliable product performance? Watch this video, and see for yourself. Once you’ve watched, tell us what you think below! Your comments are important to us.

The new C7 Tracker is like nothing else available, anywhere. Visit our web site to learn more about the new SunPower C7 Tracker. Come back often for late-breaking news on the new SunPower C7 Tracker, and find out how SunPower technology can help utilities and power plant owners meet the global demand for clean, renewable solar energy.

David Henry
Chief Marketing Officer, SunPower Corporation
San Jose, CA, United States

Make a Comment

Posted in:

SunPower Products and Services ,About SunPower

Tags:

cpv ,power plant ,LCOE ,SunPower C7 Tracker ,concentrated solar ,solar cell efficiency

Think Your Home Is a Lousy Fit for Solar? Say Hello to the SunPower AC Solar Panels.

by David Henry, October 17, 2011 | Email this

Are you someone who thinks, “I’d get a solar system in a heartbeat if my home wasn’t surrounded by big, beautiful trees?” Or, are you reluctant to ‘go solar’ because your roof isn’t perfectly oriented in a southwesterly direction? Think again.

Today SunPower introduced the SunPower^® AC Solar Panel series. These high-efficiency panels are designed to bring clean solar power to homes that have energy production challenges, such as shading, less-than-perfect orientation or irregular rooflines.

With a conventional solar power system, the panels are linked to a single inverter that’s usually placed in a ground-level location – such as a garage or the side of the house. This is a very effective way to convert unobstructed sunlight into electricity for the home, and it works well when a rooftop is unshaded and well oriented.

In contrast, each SunPower AC Solar Panel is integrated with a “microinverter” on the back. The microinverter transforms the panel into a self-contained powerhouse and can be put anywhere there’s space on the roof.

Is there a chimney or vent-pipe shading one of your panels during peak hours? No problem. While shading on even a single panel can reduce the amount of power produced by a conventional system with a single inverter, all unshaded SunPower AC Solar Panels will continue to generate solar power even if one panel is shaded – allowing the homeowner to continue to enjoy the maximum return on their investment.

As with all our solar power systems, SunPower AC Solar Panels, available for residential customers, offer a reliable SunPower Monitoring System, so you can track your energy production. Add in the panels’ sleek, unobtrusive design, and SunPower AC Solar Panels could well be the solar solution you’ve been looking for.

Want more information? Watch this new video:

Or visit our web site to learn more about SunPower AC residential panels.

David Henry
Chief Marketing Officer, SunPower Corporation
San Jose, CA, United States

Make a Comment

Posted in:

SunPower Products and Services ,About SunPower

Tags:

ac to dc , ac solar panels , microinverter , inverter , ac electricity , residential solar panels

Nobody Does it Better: The SunPower Dealer Network

October 14, 2011 | Email this

We know that choosing the right solar panel installer is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in the process of going solar. You want the most reliable solar panels for your home installed by a company that will provide you with the highest level of service and workmanship. Yet, with demand for residential solar power systems at record levels and the number of solar panel installers increasing accordingly, it can be daunting to find the solar panel installer that’s right for you.

To ease the solar panel installer selection process, SunPower has built a network of almost 2,000 locally-owned dealers around the world, including 400 in the US. All SunPower solar energy system installers in our network have been chosen for their commitment to customer service and quality workmanship, and are provided with regular training and evaluation to ensure they have up-to-date skills and knowledge. You can easily find a local solar installer by going online and searching the SunPower Dealer Network on our web site.

Benefits of working with a SunPower solar energy installer include the following:

Extensively Trained: Solar technology is complex and requires skilled, trained professionals to ensure safe, optimized system performance. Your solar dealer should be a licensed and insured contractor as well as a solar energy specialist trained specifically for home solar installation. SunPower is the only solar panel manufacturer with an ISPQ-Accredited Training Program, the international standard that ensures continuity, consistency and quality in the delivery of renewable energy training. Dealers pursuing SunPower certification in design and installation begin at the “Associate” level, then progress to “Advanced” and finally “Master” certification. Additionally, we inspect our solar panel installers’ work to ensure that the highest quality standards are upheld.
The SunPower Industry-Leading Warranty Coverage: When making a solar purchase decision, we encourage you to compare service and power warranties. SunPower provides a 10-year service warranty on materials and workmanship. In addition, we offer an industry leading, 25-year performance warranty, which ensures that your panels will produce up to 80% of their expected minimum peak power output, or SunPower will address the shortfall. Learn more on SunPower service and product warranties.
SunPower Solar Energy System Monitoring: Homeowners who opt for SunPower Monitoring Services can track their own energy production and overall environmental impact. SunPower provides monitoring services online or through an iPhone application. In addition, our solar energy installers can monitor the energy output of your solar energy system through our monitoring services, enabling them to receive an alert when a system isn’t meeting performance standards and address the problem quickly.

Your local SunPower solar panel installer is your solar advocate, providing quality, timely installation and responsive service. If you’d like to learn more about the SunPower Dealer Network, going solar or finding a solar energy installer, leave us a comment below or join the conversation on our Facebook page.

Make a Comment

Posted in:

Solar Energy Facts ,Solar Basics ,SunPower Products and Services ,About SunPower

Tags:

Solar Panel Installation ,Home Solar Panel Installation ,Solar Energy Installer ,Solar Panel Installers ,Solar Panels ,SunPower monitoring

Solar Decathlon 2011: 4D Home, Team Massachusetts’ Approach to Viable Compact Living in New England

by Julianne Rhodes, October 07, 2011 | Email this

The Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) and the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMASS Lowell) partnered for Solar Decathlon 2011. MassArt remains the nation’s only public college of art and design. UMass Lowell offers the only solar energy engineering program in the northeast region of the United States. Students from MassArt and UMASS Lowell worked on the team’s Solar Decathlon entry, 4D Home, for over two years.

Concerned about the negative consequences of non-renewable energy sources for the built environment, our team approached this issue holistically when designing 4D Home. As demonstrated in our home, successful, affordable strategies for sourcing renewable energy for buildings can be achieved when the baseline energy consumption is minimized with passive design.

Our team values:

Innovation through simplicity rather than complexity
Longevity of materials and systems
Working in an integrated collaborative design process
Using singular technologies for multiple functions
Generating context driven design solutions

About 4D Home:

4D Home is a prototype for an affordable net zero home that adapts to a family’s changing needs over time and that focuses on the efficiency of the envelope. Our model home is 945 square feet and designed for a family of three. The simple gable form is inspired by New England architecture. Designed to Passive House standards, the super insulated envelope and passive solar heat gain keep it comfortable throughout the yeat. Take a virtual tour of the home.

The design of Team Massachusetts’ 4D Home shows how dynamic interior spaces can make compact living viable for a small family. Since the temporary and long term spatial needs of a family change over time, the home’s two-bedroom layout can be easily reconfigured by sliding two central partition walls (with internal storage), expanding the living and dining rooms and allowing the home to accommodate large gatherings for special events or convert to a one-bedroom with a home office.

The 6.7 kW SunPower solar array is offset from the roof on a trellis, forming a covered entry way and providing seasonal shading. This configuration helps to cool the panels through an increased airflow beneath the array, increasing the panels’ operating efficiency. SunPower’s highly efficient mono-crystalline silicon cells allow the 4D Home to attain net zero with a gable roof. While gable roofs are more suited for the heavy snows of New England, one of the roof slopes is oriented towards the north, leaving only the south-facing side of the roof viable for a solar array. With 28 SunPower E19/240 solar panels, we were able to maximize our energy output, despite our house's limited roof area.

Recognized with 9th place (out of 19) in the overall competition, we are proud to have earned fourth place in the Affordability and Market Appeal categories and second place in Energy Balance.

4D Home was recently sold to a family in Maine. We are thrilled that the house will be used as it was originally intended, as a home for a real New England family.

Check It Out:

Team members Spencer Culhane and Julianne Rhoads gave an inspiring presentation about the project at this year’s TEDxBoston event. Hear from the students live at TEDxBoston.

Team Massachusetts installing SunPower solar panels on 4D Home

Explore our website to learn more about 4D home.

Photography: Julie Chen/Team Massachusetts

Julianne Rhodes
Co-Engineer (HVAC) for Team Massachusetts '11
Lowell, MA, United States

Make a Comment

Posted in:

Solar Decathlon

Tags:

Solar Programs ,Solar Projects ,Power of Solar Energy ,Solar Energy ,Decathlon ,SunPower E19 ,UMASS Lowell ,MassArt

Solar Decathlon 2011: Meet Team Illinois, Creators of Energy Efficient Housing Solution for Disaster Relief

by Carolyn Mesha, October 06, 2011 | Email this

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign team is comprised of students from a variety of fields. While the team is mostly architecture and engineering students, we also have landscape architects, business, and media students. The University of Illinois competed in the 2009 Solar Decathlon, where we received second place. The team’s success in 2009 sparked interest within the university to compete again in 2011. To see a list of team members and current construction pictures, visit Team Illinois’ website.

Team Illinois’ entry, Re_home, offered a new solution for disaster relief housing. Our model home’s design mixes efficient engineering, smart controls systems, and thoughtful architecture to serve the community and families in need after natural disasters. The two-module home was designed to be quickly transported and easily assembled in the event of natural disasters, such as tornadoes, common in our region of the U.S. Re_home serves as more than a shelter; it enables individual and community recovery through a socially- and environmentally-aware response.

Our home’s 7.2 kW solar array includes integrated photovoltaic, bi-facial shading panels along the front façade and 24 adjustable SunPower® E18 / 230 solar panels on the roof. The panels were shipped flat on the roof and were then adjusted to the correct angle on site. Team Illinois chose SunPower for the company’s highly efficient solar panels, which provide maximum energy output in a limited amount of roof space, while keeping the upfront cost of the home affordable.

Prior to the competition in Washington, D.C, Team Illinois provided tours to those interested in the home within the university and in the larger community. Re_home was a stop for many summer camps, enabling young people to learn about solar panels and sustainable design.

Re_home is innovative in its use of indoor and outdoor space. The home connects exterior deck areas to the main living areas of the home in order to provide more community gathering space and to extend the livable footprint of the home. To provide additional energy and to shade the main entrance and deck space, Re_home features solar panels along the south facade of the building.

Our model home placed 7th overall in the competition, and we received first place in the Appliances and Energy Balance categories. The students on Team Illinois had a great experience in Washington D.C. We were very impressed with all 19 homes at this year’s competition.

An energy-efficient housing solution for natural disasters

A close-up of Re_home’s SunPower solar system

Team Illinois ’11 - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Carolyn Mesha
Project Manager for Team Illinois '11
Champaign, IL, United States

Make a Comment

Posted in:

Solar Decathlon

Tags:

Solar Programs ,Solar Projects ,Power of Solar Energy ,Solar Energy ,Decathlon ,SunPower E18 ,disaster relief ,University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Solar Decathlon 2011: Solar Roofpod, Team New York's Solution for Underutilized City Rooftops

by Farah Ahmad, October 04, 2011 | Email this

With 100 members, Team New York'11 is a multicultural and interdisciplinary Solar Decathlon team from the City College of New York, a college within the City University of New York. Composed of all undergraduate students, we are proud to have been the youngest and most student-engaged team in this year’s competition. Over 30 engineering students and 60 architecture students helped to make Solar Roofpod a reality. Approximately 10 faculty members from both schools served as advisors.

Originating from many different ethnicities, and residing all over New York City, Team New York included students from the standard disciplines of architecture and engineering, but also from communications, film, and graphic design. We, the students, were involved in every project phase and thoroughly engaged in all project tasks. My student teammates and I were responsible for everything from conception, design and drawings to communications deliverables, construction and operation.

Team New York participated in the Solar Decathlon to introduce the public to an urban concept for the first time in the competition’s history. Our design is unique, as it will serve not only as a single-family residence, but also as a piece of urban infrastructure. Solar Roofpod is a solution for our growing cities.

Our modular, flexible penthouse design uses lightweight, durable, renewable materials and incorporates photovoltaic (PV) technologies. We chose to use SunPower panels, as the company represents the ideals of our home, sustainability and energy efficiency. We installed a 10.08 kilowatt solar system with SunPower E19 / 240 solar panels to power the house during the competition.

Solar Roofpod is an urban prototype. Rooftops of buildings in cities are largely underutilized, yet they offer true potential as living spaces because of their direct access to sun, wind and water. Designed for flat rooftops of existing mid-rise residential or commercial buildings, Team New York's Solar Roofpod aims to enable eco-conscious urban dwellers to live sustainably, as stewards of a more resilient urban environment. Solar thermal collectors supply clean energy for hot water, heating and cooling, and an innovative monitoring and control system allows users to be energy efficient while maintaining a level of comfort inside the pod. Solar Roofpod’s design allows for the cost-effective collection and delivery of solar power (not only to the home, but also to the host building and the city’s power grid), cultivation of roof gardens and recycling of storm water.

Solar Roofpod was featured on “The Early Show” a national television show on CBS, and on New York 1 News. Our team’s design has appeared in approximately 100 print and web publications. Prior to the Solar Decathlon competition, we presented to high school and college students, as well as the Museum of the City of New York and the New York City Mayor’s Office. We also took part in several urban design expositions, such as the New York City Solar Summit, the Urban Green Exposition and the AIA Westchester Fair.

Solar Decathlon 2011 was a memorable experience for everyone on the team. The three weeks onsite in Washington DC consisted of assembly, public exhibition, contests and disassembly. Our team’s architecture and engineering students had to collaborate quickly to get the house assembled and operating. Once assembly was complete, the team conducted house tours for media, VIP guests and the general public. The Solar Roofpod received over 10,000 visitors in a period of ten days!

Though Team New York did not win the overall Solar Decathlon competition, Solar Roofpod was certainly a favorite amongst public visitors, who claimed the house was attractive and maintained a unique concept amongst all nineteen entries. The hands-on experience at Solar Decathlon 2011 has steered some team members towards more specific building industries, including construction management and sustainable design.

As Public Relations Manager for Team New York, I learned how to design with energy efficiency in mind and how to clearly communicate my ideas, since interviews and public tours were frequent throughout the Solar Decathlon. I am thrilled to report that our team placed fourth in the Communications category.

Solar Roofpod will be moved back to the City College of New York campus, where it was originally constructed, to be repurposed as a public exhibit to educate the community about sustainable design in the urban setting.

Team New York assembling Solar Roofpod in Washington DC at dusk

Team New York assembling Solar Roofpod in Washington DC at night

View of Solar Decathlon from across the Potomac River

Farah Ahmad
Public Relations Manager, Team New York Solar Roofpod
New York, NY, United States

Make a Comment

Posted in:

Solar Decathlon ,SunPower Installations ,SunPower Products and Services

Tags:

Solar Programs , Solar Projects , Power of Solar Energy , Solar Energy ,Decathlon , Solar Roofpod , NY City Rooftops , Solar Penthouse , SunPower E19

Solar Decathlon 2011: Designing a Solar House By Team Middlebury

by Katie Romanov, October 04, 2011 | Email this

This past Saturday, after a week and a half of operating our home, Self-Reliance, and being evaluated in the 10 decathlon contests, Team Middlebury College was awarded fourth place in the Solar Decathlon competition. In addition to winning fourth place overall, our student-led team took first place in three of the 10 decathlon contests: Communications, Home Entertainment and Market Appeal. Team Middlebury College also placed fourth in the Architecture contest and five in Affordability, gaining the most juried contest points of any team.

Team Middlebury College was the first undergraduate liberal arts team to be accepted as a finalist into the Solar Decathlon competition without partnering with another institution. We are extremely proud that we performed as a top contender amongst teams from technical architecture and engineering institutions. We dreamed of finishing in the top five overall and being the little engine that could. We did it!

In our original schematic design proposal, we described our vision of reinventing the New England farmhouse, a long-standing American symbol of home. With no idea of how we'd fare against other submissions, and an added application phase due to a surplus of proposals, we eagerly awaited a response from the DOE. On April 6, 2010, the announcement came. We were in! Enthusiastic screaming ensued… until a student stood up and said "Let's get to work!"

Over the past year and half leading up to this year’s Solar Decathlon, we put ourselves to work. Long hours and hard decisions became even more tedious as our team continued to grow. Over 85 students from more than 25 different majors played an active role in the project. We drew on chemistry majors to do our materials research and English majors to write our fundraising materials, turning our perceived limitation as a liberal arts school into our greatest strength. Our interdisciplinary background encouraged us to take a unique approach towards the engineering challenge of creating a 100% net-zero energy home by incorporating our appreciation for the humanities into an integrated design process.

We crafted our design around our target client: a young New England family of four. With a maximum of 1,000 square feet of finished floor space to work with, and the goal of having a separate children's bedroom, we allocated space efficiently. We maximized space with our southern-facing gable roof and added a loft as a storage and multipurpose area. We integrated a greenhouse-wall into the kitchen, allowing family members to grow their own produce from seed to plate. To reduce embodied energy, we incorporated local natural materials that are healthy for both the inhabitants and the surrounding environment. We employed passive techniques and simple active systems, with a user-friendly interface for parents and kids to observe their energy usage. Demonstrating that solar-powered homes can be comfortable and appealing for families was one of our team's top priorities at the 2011 Solar Decathlon.

Selecting our solar panels was a big decision. We chose to partner with SunPower, an company that shares our commitment to renewable energy and environmental stewardship. SunPower was able to provide the highest solar panel efficiency for our project, generating more than 6.75 kW on a sunny day. Instead of consuming electricity generated from coal, natural gas, nuclear material or other non-renewable sources, Self-Reliance meets its energy needs with solar power – a clean, green technology that is available to home and business owners across the world.

Team members installed our all black SunPower E18/225 solar panels during the construction of Self-Reliance this past summer in Middlebury, Vermont, then disassembled and reassembled the system for the competition in West Potomac Park on the National Mall and are currently disassembling the solar array for shipment back to Vermont.

This coming weekend, after the six-day disassembly process is complete, we will truck the eight modules of Self-Reliance back to the Middlebury College campus for final siting. Boreholes have already been drilled for a geothermal system and the permanent foundation is currently under construction.

Middlebury College will use the house for special interest housing, where students will apply to live on a per semester basis. Our home will serve as an environmental outreach center for dinners, speakers and educational events open to both the campus and the local community. It was incredible sharing our home with over 15,000 visitors on the National Mall. Now it's time to bring the house home, where it will continue to be an educational tool that demonstrates the livability and affordability of solar-powered homes.