A XXII century house

Solar Decathlon is a contest organized by the Energy Department of the United States for colleges all over the world, it consists on the design and building of an energetically self sufficient house prototype, with the most innovative technology on the energetic efficiency field. The objective is to achieve one family houses able to create the energy they want to consume.

A total of 30 colleges presented their projects, 20 of them have been selected, having as European representatives: Darmstadt University (Germany) and the Polytechnic University of Madrid. The other 18 colleges are from America: EE.UU, Puerto Rico and Canada. Among them Santa Clara University, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Ithaca, New Cork y Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia and the Massachussets Institute of Technology in this contest for the 1st time.

Polytechnic University of Madrid presented their project in an act with the presence of José Manuel Páez, vice-rector of International Affairs of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, together with professors Sergio Vega and Asuncion Santamaria, project leader and co-leader and Cesar Bedoya, coordinator of the previous project.

Solar City

Teams will install designed houses in the National Mall, Washington D.C., where the Solar City will remain open to the public.

Teams are under evaluation, by different juries, of 10 tests, mainly related to the power aspects of houses. The objective is that the systems of solar energy integrated in the houses guarantee the correct operation of the same. For it, these systems must be combined with sustainable architectonic designs, incorporating efficiency technologies to maintain ideal conditions of habitability: air conditioning, illumination, operation of electric home appliances and hot water.

Customized houses, energetically sufficient

Polytechnic University of Madrid has created a multidisciplinary team formed by professors and students of its different schools. Its objective is to take advantage of the results the investigations that are realized in this project to design a new concept of marketable house, versatile and totally industrialized. These houses offer a greater quality and efficiency in their construction and can be personalized for each client. The UPM will compete with a prototype denominated White wing, at the moment in phase of first draft and it incorporates innovations systems of generation of photovoltaic and thermal solar energy, systems of power saving, systems of environmental intelligence and systems of virtual reality.

To achieve necessary levels of artificial lightening, LEDS are going to be use, replacing traditional lightening (bulbs, halogens) lowering electric consumption.

Systems of air conditioning of reduced consumption will be used, like change of phase gels, that maintain the house very isolated, diminishing the necessities of auxiliary systems like heating and air conditioned . In addition a solar chimney that allows to remove the hot air from the house by convection and to renew it with fresh air will be used . An auxiliary system of air conditioning the machine of absorption is going to be tested, able to generate cold air from hot water coming from the thermal system of solar pick-up.

Gray water recycling

The house will also count with an automatic system to control the state of the batteries on the photovoltaic system, controlling the activation of electric home appliances, heating and refrigeration, looking for the best balance between generated and consumed energy.

Finally techniques for the advantage of the hydro resources of the house by means of the gray water recycling will be included. With these innovations, the equipment of Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) deals to advance in the development of independent power and houses respectful with the environment.

Who participates in the Solar Decathlon

This project has been conceived as a continuation from the previous year, in which the Polytechnic of Madrid presented the project Magic Box, being the only European college participating.

UPM will run against the Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburg, Pennsylvania), Cornell University (Ithaca, New Cork), Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Georgia), Massachussets Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Massachussets), New cork Institute of Technology (Old Westbury, New cork), École de Technologie Supérieure Université de Montreal, Pennsylvania State University, University of Colorado (2005 winner) , the University of Maryland, and others.

Solar energy is on the verge of becoming the future of today.

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