23.04.2010
Solar-power house at student competition

The solar-powered house developed by students at the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences (© Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences)

Students at the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences (HFT) have developed a solar-powered house which generates an impressive surplus of energy. The house, which is constructed from modular elements, will be on show at the international “Solar Decathlon Europe 2010” in Madrid from 18 to 27 June. The small “home +” building will be up against stiff competition in ten categories from houses built by 18 other university teams from all around the world. “We produce so much energy that we can supply an entire household,” commented one of the architecture students taking part at the roofing ceremony for the test phase on the house in Stuttgart on 22 April. In Madrid’s climate, the plus energy house would even produce three times as much power as it requires.

For energy-producing purposes the entire building shell has been integrated into the solar power concept. The roof and outside walls are fitted with electricity-generating photovoltaic solar modules. All the construction modules making up the competition house are arranged at a small distance from each other. The joints are then used for lighting, ventilating and pre-heating the building in winter and cooling it in the summer. An "energy tower” plays an especially important role by working with the wind and evaporative cooling to create a pleasant indoor atmosphere. It is reminiscent of the wind towers which can be found in Arabic countries or the patios which are so common in Spain.

The houses competing at the "Solar Decathlon Europe 20102 will be erected under the Royal Palace of Madrid in a “Villa Solar” where they can be viewed by the public. In the decathlon between the houses criteria such as energy efficiency, solar power generation, architectural quality, communication of the concept, marketability, transportability and construction costs all play a role. Students of architecture, construction physics, construction engineering, sustainable energy competence and building energy research at the HFT in Stuttgart all took part in the interdisciplinary project. The individual modules are built by the carpenters müllerblaustein in Ulm.