The Solar Decathlon is one of the largest global university competitions focused on energy management in homes.
There is a growing trend amongst new home builders to consider not just street appeal, price and location when they plan their new home, but also to consider sustainability. Factors such as orientation, the installation of solar panels, use of recycled materials and energy efficient technologies are now just as prioritised as picking out wall tiles and bathroom fixtures.
To promote energy efficient housing, and encourage further development in the area of sustainable housing design, the Solar Decathlon competition involves teams from 20 universities around the world who are asked to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective and energy-efficient.
The competition has grown from its origins in the US (where the 9th edition will take place in October) to including a European Solar Decathlon (the 3rd edition to be held in France next year) and currently the first Solar Decathlon China is being held in Datong, China. Schneider Electric sponsors each of these events and one of their major contributions is the electrical distribution equipment required to connect the solar village to the utility service for the duration of the event.
The Solar Decathlon is a two-year project where the students learn how to design a house, source materials, organise a team and raise funds.
Students gain experience and shape their careers by getting exposure to innovations in sustainable technologies. The contest highlights the most important players in the new energy market, and every edition is different and brings new ideas.
Products such as solar inverters, electric vehicle charging stations and C-Bus lighting control systems are used by the participants to make their house as energy-efficient as possible. Power meters are used to record the levels of energy being used.
The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal and design excellence with maximum efficiency. And although they are competing against each other, there is a sense of collaboration between the teams, to ensure the best outcome for the project as a whole.
“Schneider Electric, as an innovator of energy solutions, applauds Solar Decathlon teams, which are inspiring new pathways for sustainable living,” said Michel Orlhac, Vice President of Marketing, Schneider Electric.
“Over the past few years university teams have competed with each other to come up with new innovations that are affordable and efficient. Nowadays, every team brings outstanding ideas and even better solutions in the field of energy management.”
University of Wollongong – Team UOW for Solar Decathlon
The University of Wollongong (Team UOW Australia) is taking part in the 2013 Solar Decathlon China, with their Illawarra Flame Australia house. The house is a demonstration of how typical Australian homes built in the 1950-60s can be retrofitted with a wide range of environmentally advanced technologies – thereby avoiding many of the environmental impacts that would have resulted from building a new home from scratch.
“The idea of demonstrating a retrofit for our Solar Decathlon China entry originated from our Academic Coordinator, Professor Paul Cooper. He recognised the importance of tackling the issue of our existing housing stock – not just aiming for energy efficiency in new build houses,” Jack Breen, Marketing and Communications Manager of Team UOW, said.
“This fits with the University of Wollongong’s Sustainable Buildings Research Centre’s main research focus of retrofitting existing buildings. The team clearly understands that as a society with the goal of a sustainable future, we need to find an effective way to make our existing houses energy efficient – in a way that is beautiful, functional and affordable.”
To help them achieve this goal, Schneider Electric has donated a C-Bus Control system, along with occupancy and light sensors, sweep fan control relay, a 6.4 inch C-Touch colour touch screen, and other complementary products.
“The C-Bus System allows the occupant of the house to control the lighting, air conditioning and ventilation and to monitor the energy use. By making energy use visible, the occupants can then identify ways to reduce it. This is very important as the most significant effect on energy use is the behavior of the occupant.”
The team is collaborating with TAFE Illawarra Institute, and the skills and knowledge gained from the project are being passed on to tradesmen, and future tradesmen.
“The research from our involvement in the project will live on and continue at the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC) as the house becomes a living laboratory,” Jack said.
“We will also be researching different tiers of a retrofit and the payoff periods for each of them.”
For more information about Team UOW Australia entry, visit their website at www.illawarraflame.com.au