References29/10/2015

Our windows featured in an award-winning project in the USA

Products from our workshop in the award-winning project of the SOLAR DECATHLON 2015 competition organized by the U.S. Department of Energy

Windows from Prievidza in an award-winning project

We are very pleased that, together with our American partner—one of the sponsors of the winning team of the SOLAR DECATHLON 2015 competition—we were able to contribute to this meaningful initiative. The energy-efficient house was fitted with 6-chamber PVC windows SCHÜCO CORONA SI 82 manufactured in Prievidza and installed in the USA, extra-large lift-and-slide doors SCHÜCO THERMO SLIDE, and 5-chamber entrance doors SCHÜCO CORONA CT 70 with triple-glazed thermal-insulation units. The house was built in New Jersey on the banks of the Hudson River, opposite New York City, and then transported to the competition in California. On its way to California, it crossed a mountain pass in the state of Arizona at an altitude of 1,524 m. Yes, houses in the USA really are transported back and forth, and it is not just something invented by the Discovery Channel :).

Solar Decathlon – a decathlon of eco-friendly buildings

The Solar Decathlon is a well-regarded competition overseen by the United States Department of Energy, with a winner announced every two years. During this period, competition teams from U.S. universities design and build energy-efficient, self-sufficient homes that, in addition to being completely independent of energy supplies, must be market-attractive for the selected target group—i.e., easy and comfortable to live in, user-friendly and functional, and at a “reasonable” price.

What is evaluated?

Completed projects are evaluated following the model of the Olympic decathlon, i.e., in ten disciplines:

  1. Architecture
  2. Marketability (meeting the requirements of the selected target group is assessed)
  3. Engineering (technologies used, innovations, their functionality, and return on investment)
  4. Communication and presentation (the overall communication strategy, websites, online presentation, public energy education, physical tours of the house, etc., are assessed)
  5. Cost (the total cost of the house should not exceed a cap of $600,000, with the maximum number of points awarded to a project priced at up to $250,000)
  6. Comfort zone (constant temperature and humidity are assessed in the interiors)
  7. Home appliances (the team simulates the use of appliances in their house as in a typical American household—doing laundry, cooking, drying clothes, running the dishwasher, refrigerator, and freezer at certain times and in certain quantities; the house’s ability to cover all appliances energetically is assessed)
  8. Home life (activities accompanying everyday household life are simulated—at certain times all lights are on, the TV and computer are running; several times during the competition someone showers in the house with hot water; inviting neighbors for dinner is simulated, as well as inviting friends for a TV party night—the house must be able to comfortably “handle” all these activities)
  9. Automobile (an electric car is charged in the house during the competition; the maximum number of points is awarded if the car is able to travel 25 miles or more within a maximum of two hours, 8 times per week)
  10. Overall energy balance (the maximum number of points is awarded if the house independently produces enough energy to cover its operation during the competition)

Who makes up the team?

As can be seen from the evaluated disciplines, this is truly a comprehensive project that must involve students from various faculties across the university. A single team includes architects, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, IT specialists, designers, managers, and marketing and communications experts. The chances of success come only if the team can manage the complete project management process—from analysis, design, and implementation to marketing and financing. Yes, by Slovak university standards it still sounds a bit like SCI-FI :).

SU+RE HOUSE – safe and sustainable coastal living

The overall winner in 2015 was the team from the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey (Stevens Institute of Technology) with their project “SU+RE HOUSE”. In addition to the main prize, this house won seven of the ten disciplines. The project name was created by combining the words Sustainable + Resilient in response to increasingly frequent climate changes that affected the New Jersey coast in the form of Hurricane Sandy. SU+RE HOUSE is therefore not only an eco-friendly home independent of fossil fuels, but also a home with increased resilience to extreme weather, designed for coastal living. Together with their educational and communication program, the students at Stevens Institute of Technology aim to inform the public about specific ways to protect themselves from weather and to actively prevent its further deterioration.

We share the joy of our American colleagues, congratulate the winners, and wish every further similar project the best of luck. We believe that one day this will also happen at home, under the auspices of a Slovak ministry, led by Slovak students.

More information

Source:
http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2015/competition.html

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