Ribbon cut on Lawrence Tech's solar house at new home in Troy

Thursday, October 9, 2008 | Source: metromode

Al Gore would be so proud.

The ribbon has been cut and the first tours given of Lawrence Technological University's solar house in its permanent home in Troy.

Lawrence Tech students and staff built the ALOeTERRA house for the Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C., last year. They recently finished rebuilding it on Troy's Civic Center campus next to the Troy Community Center.

The energy-positive house (meaning it creates more electricity than it uses) will serve as an example of how environmentally friendly building techniques can be used in everyday construction. The Troy Chamber of Commerce bought it so it can used as a public display about sustainable building and a center for recreation activities.

A team of more than 40 Lawrence Tech students called ALOeTERRA (which means "to nourish the earth") designed and built the house last year. Volunteers from the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millrights also lent a hand creating a home that harnesses the sunlight into enough electricity to power the home's utilities (along with some left over for a small electric vehicle).

Team ALOeTERRA purposely used green building techniques and technologies widely available to the public so the house can serve as a showcase on how regular people can conserve energy in housing.

For instance, the primary source of energy for hot water and heating is an array of evacuated tubes. The system can store a day's worth of hot water and pay for itself in energy savings in about two years. All of the home's electricity is generated by photovoltaic solar panels that cover much of the roof. When sunlight isn't available, the home's battery system will meet all the energy needs for things like heating, ventilation and air conditioning. The team utilized a number of energy conservation ideas to control the home's energy appetite to make it energy positive.

The house was a part of the Solar Decathlon's "solar village" exhibition in Washington, D.C. It competed against a field of 20 universities, including MIT, Carnegie Mellon and Cornell. The solar decathlon is a prestigious international competition where universities contend to build the most attractive and energy-efficient, solar-powered home.

Lawrence Tech was the smallest college in the contest and the only one from Michigan. Its house was one of the runners-up in the BP People's Choice Award competition, thanks to an architectural design many found attractive and livable.

Source: Eric Pope, spokesman for Lawrence Technological University
Writer: Jon Zemke