Collaborative Research and Education in the Design and Building of a Net- Zero Energy Solar Powered House – Testimony of a Solar Decathlon 2013 Entry

This paper provides a testimony of the experience and the lessons learned during the design, construction and presentation of a net-zero energy house as part of the 2013 U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) Solar Decathlon competition. The Solar Decathlon is a biennial competition which challenges international collegiate teams to design, build, and operate net-zero energy solarpowered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. Like the Olympic Decathlon, the Solar Decathlon consists of 10 contests: juried contests (engineering, architecture, market appeal, communications and affordability) and measured contests (comfort zone, hot water, appliances, home entertainment and energy balance). The purpose of the competition is both educative – educational experience for the participating students, for the general public, for the building industry and the policy makers – and research oriented – encouraging multidisciplinary collaboration towards development of new technologies and methods. The paper discusses the educational experience of the students participating in this international competition, focusing on the engineering undergraduate students. It describes the plan implemented for integrating the Solar Decathlon into the required curricula within the engineering, architecture, and business departments. A project as large and diverse as this one required accommodating curricular development at various levels and within various modes of teaching and learning. Students were encouraged to participate in the process in five ways: design studios, research labs and seminars, special topics, construction, and monitoring. Although the greatest learning experience for the students occurred in the integrated design process – across engineering disciplines, and school of architecture – the student team members also learned how to raise funds, procure materials and construction equipment, and how to interact with one another towards a mutual goal. The project provided an opportunity for the development and implementation of new educational materials focused on energy efficiency, sustainable building design, solar energy, and power conversion and conditioning technologies. Being part of a large and varied team seeing a project from the preliminary design phase to construction and commissioning, the students were provided with a true multi-disciplinary hands-on opportunity. The opportunity proved to strengthen their technical skills, acquired in the regular curriculum, via integration of theoretical knowledge and practical experience. Moreover, the students were exposed to the perspective and educational styles of professors and students in each represented academic department (electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, architecture, marketing and communications). Organized in a multi-disciplinary format, students were then able to share their strengths across disciplines and contribute to a synthesis of process and product.