Abstract
The use of solar energy as a renewable energy source to reduce fossil fuel consumption is now widely accepted as one of the best ways to mitigate pollution problems and improve living conditions. Solar Decathlon Competition has been developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) to encourage the use of solar energy and other renewable energy sources toward the goal of building sustainable houses. This competition was held in 2002 for the first time. Since then, it has taken place every two years in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013. In order to learn from such experiences, we need to study different components of these well-documented competition houses, which could lead to better understanding of the application of different innovative materials and methods in construction of even conventional but energy efficient homes. In this paper, the past Solar Decathlon Competition projects are reviewed in order to categorize major components of the buildings. In order to evaluate the effect of the components used on sustainability and energy efficiency, various criteria developed by the solar decathlon competition rules are used. Some of these criteria have varied over the years, but the major ones can be summarized as follows: architecture, appliances, lighting, hot water, market appeal, affordability, comfort zone performance, and energy balance. The components that will be discussed in this paper include floors, roof, structural framing type, wall systems, windows, and insulation materials. The attributes of such components are evaluated considering certain aspects of sustainability relevant to Solar Decathlon projects. Furthermore, the percentages of different structural framing, insulation and glazing types among other major components used in the design are determined and presented.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | AEI 2015: Birth and Life of the Integrated Building - Proceedings of the AEI Conference 2015 |
| Publisher | American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) |
| Pages | 483-494 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780784479070 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2015 |
| Event | Architectural Engineering National Conference 2015: Birth and Life of the Integrated Building, AEI 2015 - Milwaukee, United States Duration: Mar 24 2015 → Mar 27 2015 |
Other
| Other | Architectural Engineering National Conference 2015: Birth and Life of the Integrated Building, AEI 2015 |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| City | Milwaukee |
| Period | 3/24/15 → 3/27/15 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Civil and Structural Engineering
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Building and Construction
Cite this
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Energy efficiency and sustainability attributes of the solar decathlon projects. / Kamel, Ehsan; Memari, Ali M.
AEI 2015: Birth and Life of the Integrated Building - Proceedings of the AEI Conference 2015. American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 2015. p. 483-494.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
TY - GEN
T1 - Energy efficiency and sustainability attributes of the solar decathlon projects
AU - Kamel, Ehsan
AU - Memari, Ali M.
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - The use of solar energy as a renewable energy source to reduce fossil fuel consumption is now widely accepted as one of the best ways to mitigate pollution problems and improve living conditions. Solar Decathlon Competition has been developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) to encourage the use of solar energy and other renewable energy sources toward the goal of building sustainable houses. This competition was held in 2002 for the first time. Since then, it has taken place every two years in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013. In order to learn from such experiences, we need to study different components of these well-documented competition houses, which could lead to better understanding of the application of different innovative materials and methods in construction of even conventional but energy efficient homes. In this paper, the past Solar Decathlon Competition projects are reviewed in order to categorize major components of the buildings. In order to evaluate the effect of the components used on sustainability and energy efficiency, various criteria developed by the solar decathlon competition rules are used. Some of these criteria have varied over the years, but the major ones can be summarized as follows: architecture, appliances, lighting, hot water, market appeal, affordability, comfort zone performance, and energy balance. The components that will be discussed in this paper include floors, roof, structural framing type, wall systems, windows, and insulation materials. The attributes of such components are evaluated considering certain aspects of sustainability relevant to Solar Decathlon projects. Furthermore, the percentages of different structural framing, insulation and glazing types among other major components used in the design are determined and presented.
AB - The use of solar energy as a renewable energy source to reduce fossil fuel consumption is now widely accepted as one of the best ways to mitigate pollution problems and improve living conditions. Solar Decathlon Competition has been developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) to encourage the use of solar energy and other renewable energy sources toward the goal of building sustainable houses. This competition was held in 2002 for the first time. Since then, it has taken place every two years in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013. In order to learn from such experiences, we need to study different components of these well-documented competition houses, which could lead to better understanding of the application of different innovative materials and methods in construction of even conventional but energy efficient homes. In this paper, the past Solar Decathlon Competition projects are reviewed in order to categorize major components of the buildings. In order to evaluate the effect of the components used on sustainability and energy efficiency, various criteria developed by the solar decathlon competition rules are used. Some of these criteria have varied over the years, but the major ones can be summarized as follows: architecture, appliances, lighting, hot water, market appeal, affordability, comfort zone performance, and energy balance. The components that will be discussed in this paper include floors, roof, structural framing type, wall systems, windows, and insulation materials. The attributes of such components are evaluated considering certain aspects of sustainability relevant to Solar Decathlon projects. Furthermore, the percentages of different structural framing, insulation and glazing types among other major components used in the design are determined and presented.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84926442990&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84926442990&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1061/9780784479070.042
DO - 10.1061/9780784479070.042
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84926442990
SP - 483
EP - 494
BT - AEI 2015: Birth and Life of the Integrated Building - Proceedings of the AEI Conference 2015
PB - American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
ER -