University of Calgary and Mount Royal University students from various faculties have started constructing their entry into the 2013 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.
Known as Borealis, the steel and wood modular solar home will be Team Alberta’s third entry into the biannual international competition. Only 20 teams are chosen to compete each year.
The concept for Borealis came after Team Alberta recognized a gap in the market for transportable and affordable homes for both remote working populations and working families. “Our approach is we didn’t want to build a solar home for the sake of building a solar home,” says Carol Yan, Team Alberta communication co-lead. “We wanted to build a solar home that could potentially be one step towards solving a greater societal need.”
Once built, the solar home will be fully functional and just over 900-square-feet. Two of the three modules will act as living space, with the remaining centre module housing the kitchen and bathroom. Depending on the circumstances, the two living spaces can act as individual residences with sliding doors maintaining privacy to the middle and their own outside access. The bathroom includes a living wall to naturally detoxify the air, while the kitchen has a built-in table for eight that can double as a meeting space.
After the initial construction in Calgary, the team will have to disassemble the home and ship it to Irvine, California, where the competition will take place. The home will then compete in 10 different categories:
- Architecture
- Market Appeal
- Engineering
- Communications
- Affordability
- Comfort Zone
- Hot Water
- Appliances
- Home Entertainment
- Energy Balance
To win, the team must have the entry that best blends affordability, livability and design excellence. It also must be completely self-sustaining; providing enough energy to use household appliances and have adequate supplies of hot water.
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