Erin Morrison and Professor Brent Houchens assemble the frame and header for an Apricus evacuated tube collector for a solar water heater. [Photo from Ze-Row Blog]
- Feb. 19, 2009
- 5:01 PM
$olar $avings: Are Affordable Solar Powered Houses Possible?
Erin Morrison and Professor Brent Houchens assemble the frame and header for an Apricus evacuated tube collector for a solar water heater. [Photo from Ze-Row Blog]
The Fall issue of Cite included a short piece (pdf) on the Rice University Solar Decathlon Team. David Dewane, the lead architecture student, provides an update and analysis. Rice students from the departments of architecture and engineering are engaged in a joint venture that seeks to answer one simple question: Can a 100 percent solar-powered house be affordable? The answer, so far, is yes. There are a few catches, though. First of all, the question is highly subjective. Two points have to be clarified: 1) the size of the house and 2) what exactly one means by affordable. In terms of size, the solution proposed by our team of designers for the Rice Zero Energy Row house (ZERow) was to scale back the size of the house to a very modest 650 square feet of conditioned space. While this might at first seem shockingly small, several devices (such as an open plan, high ceilings, and providing shaded outdoor spaces for exterior living) are employed to increase comfort and livability. There is also a reciprocal relationship between how much volume a modestly-sized solar array can condition. In order to maximize the potential of every watt harvested from the sun, efficiency must reign. As for affordability, the ZERow is a 99k base house outfitted with a 30k array for a grand total of $130,000. The economic model is built for distance, not for speed. For 130k, you get a house suitable for one or two people that will be energy independent (and under warranty) for twenty years. A thirty-year mortgage with an interest rate of 6% would yield a monthly payment of $872. That would be about 25% of a household with $40,000 annual income. While this is still out of the range of low-income families, it is well within the range of those of average income. Once you are responsible for producing your own energy, you quickly come to terms with the finite nature of the resource. Most of us are already all too familiar with the finite nature of our financial resources. There is a possibility that through innovative design we can move in a direction that is both more environmentally sensible and economically viable. While the ZERow is far from innovative on some fronts, it is an important piece of research that will hopefully be foundational in the push for affordable sustainable design in the future. *The ZERow house is the Rice University’s 2009 entry to the Department of Energy-sponsored Solar Decathlon. Upon completion, it will be donated to Project Row Houses where it will provide housing to a low-income household. The Rice Building Workshop, who manages the design and construction of the ZERow, aspires to continue refining this model in order to make solar energy viable for people of more modest incomes. For more information please visit ricesolardecathlon.org. You can make a donation to our team. Typically, these projects are funded by architecture, engineering, and construction firms, but the recent economic downturn has caused these industries to run for cover. Luckily, we are building a low-income house, so our overall funding goals are more modest. Nevertheless, we are currently short of our fundraising goal and every donation (no matter how small) really helps. Thanks in advance for any generosity - it is all the more meaningful in these economically stern days.
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Filed Under: Solar
