Calgary students unveil entry in International Solar Decathlon house competition
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Ryan White, CTV Calgary
Published Wednesday, August 14, 2013 4:33PM MDT
Team Alberta, comprised of University of Calgary and Mount Royal University students, has completed construction of Borealis, its entry in an international solar home design competition.
Borealis is a net-zero project which will produce all of the electricity required to run the home.
“The purpose of the solar decathlon is to build a net zero home so that means you can't take more electricity off the grid than you put on the grid,” explains Nathan Jubb, one of the builders of Borealis. “We have lots of solar panels on top and throughout the day the solar panels feed back into the grid, and at night when it's dark it will feed back into the house.”
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“It's a net zero house, it actually balances out that it's not using any energy.”
Among the features included in the 84 sq. m. home are solar panels, thermal tubes, sun tunnel skylights, LED lighting and an intelligent mechanical system.
Builders estimate the cost of building homes using the prototype design would be approximately $350,000.
Team Alberta is one of two Canadian teams competing in October’s International Solar Decathlon competition in Irvine, California.
Homes will be judged in the following 10 contests:
- Architecture
- Market Appeal
- Engineering
- Communication
- Affordability
- Comfort Zone
- Hot Water
- Appliances
- Home Entertainment
- Energy Balance
Calgarians will have an opportunity to view Borealis this weekend on the University of Calgary campus. Team Alberta will provide guided tours of the home to members of the public on August 17 and 18, between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Borealis is located on the west edge of the campus, near the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Directional signs to the home will be posted in the area.
