Net-Zero Houses: Designing for the 2013 Solar Decathlon

Abstract

Residential buildings contribute a significant percentage of total energy consumption in developed countries and about eleven percent in the USA. Among U.S. governmental initiatives related to solar energy application to residential design, the Solar Decathlon competition, organized by the U.S. Department of Energy, stands out as the most architecturally relevant. Through the lens of a 2013 Solar Decathlon entry, this paper discusses the evolution of technologies and the changes in the architecture of the American single-family house when solar energy is used as a primary energy source. The design strategy of our 2013 Solar Decathlon team is to maximize the effectiveness of the PV array while keeping the costs low. The resulting net-zero houses will also be significantly more affordable than the typical Solar Decathlon house, which is a fundamental condition if these houses are to have an impact in the housing market.