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ZERO NET ENERGY HOMES PROJECT
Impact/Purpose:
The overall project scope would be to design, build and test a neighborhood of 6 solar-powered, net zero energy houses as a prototype providing decentralized power supply to the city grid as an alternative to fossil-fuel burning central power stations. Net zero energy houses make more power than they use and are thus able to feed energy back into the power grid. Students will learn sustainable community planning and building design practices in a real-world application. A strong emphasis will be on involvement of the community group, which will be a way to familiarize and show the usefulness of these strategies to a wider audience.
Designs will be selected with the community group and built by a construction partner on land owned by the City of Austin; the City will also provide solar panels. Students would be involved in developing construction documents and supervising construction in a subsequent course. The City has a maximum budget of $75 psf for the houses, so proving that sustainable building techniques can be affordable will be the first test of the project.
As part of a later course, student will conduct post-occupancy analyses of the houses, testing energy usage and production, and homeowner reactions to the houses. Results will be continually posted on a website created for the project.
Description:
The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture and Community and Regional Planning Program seeks the P3 Award for an interdisciplinary studio that would be the first phase of an ambitious prototype project in partnership with the City of Austin's Green Building Program.