Eco Factor: Solar-powered home designed for Solar Decathlon competition.
While most of the 20 participants who will be competing in the Solar Decathlon competition to be held early next month are relying on flat solar panels, Penn State University’s Natural Fusion home will make use of cylindrical solar panels that according to the developers will help them generate more power.
The 800-square-foot house is the first residential project to utilize Solyndra cylindrical photovoltaics, which due to their unique shape, capture more sunlight throughout the day than traditional flat panels. The system is called Green Roof Integrated Photovoltaics (GRIP V), where the properties of the green roof beneath the panels create greater efficiency in powering the house.
With a green roof underneath, reflectivity is minimized and all that greenery also helps regulating the temperature of the cylindrical panels above. From the team’s construction through the life of the home, Natural Fusion is expected to produce zero emissions, which means that the team used solar power to work on the home and evaluated energy consumption used to make the products included in the home.
Apart from the use of renewable energy, the home has been built from sustainable materials. The flooring is made from wood siding from an old Pennsylvania barn, and the wall separating the kitchen and the bathroom features an indoor garden with herbs and other plants that can simply be plucked from the wall for cooking.
Via: Penn State University [Press Release]
