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A major event in sustainable
housing development took place in Washington, D.C. from
October 7th to October 16th. Crowds of
enthusiasts, professionals and just interested citizens had a
chance to observe the latest developments in green
technologies. Eighteen prestigious universities from the USA,
Canada, Puerto-Rico, and Spain were competing in 10 categories
for the best self-sustainable, energy-efficient, and off-grid
houses. Among categories, which interested our company were
lighting level and comfort, temperature and humidity comfort
levels, and energy balance.
And although the weather was
not what the competitors and judges and thousands of visitors
had been hoping for, it could not spoil the excitement and
high spirit of the event. People were coming to see the houses
from all over the United States. Teams of supporters from
countries-participants helped keep the event ready for action.
I came to D.C. for the weekend
to see where the industry stands, what the latest advancements
in building technologies are, and who the big players are. The
fact that the teams were from universities and comprised of
students promised some new ideas. We also wanted to see where
we, at Centaurus Technologies and Innovations, stand in the
broader scheme of things.
The importance of this event
cannot be overvalued. For many people, it was an immense
educational experience. Some have never seen a PV panel in
their lives and would mistake a polycarbonate wall for such.
Students, who designed and built the houses, were also there
to educate visitors about benefits of solar power, energy
efficiency and other green technologies. Education and
accessibility of information were one of the categories for
competition. Projects were expected to be informative and
educational for ordinary non-specialist visitors.
Attention and interest towards
energy-efficient building technologies is on the rise. It is
not a secret that commercial and residential buildings consume
about 30% of electricity and 50% of heat produced in the US.
If we are able to reduce this portion, we can significantly
reduce our dependence on foreign oil and depleting fossil
fuels, in general. Independence and reliability of solar and
other renewable energy sources allow for less pollution, fewer
power outages and much more comfort in many aspects of living.
If commercial solar-energy converting becomes as efficient as
some scientists promise in the nearest future, solar energy
could soon replace as much as 75% of the energy produced in
the USA today.
We are just starting to realize
benefits of green technologies. Work place satisfaction,
better health, better learning environment and more
comfortable and healthy houses – these are only some of the
benefits, understanding of which is taking roots in our
society. While global warming maybe a questionable issue for
some, millions of tons of pollutants thrown into atmosphere
every year is a known fact. Air quality in our buildings is
something we feel every day. Artificial light, lack of
sunlight, inability to see a "day" make us less
efficient in anything we do. We all know and feel this every
day. Green technologies address these issues.
The location for the event was
not accidental. Having the most energy efficient houses built
right in front of the eyes of government, legislators and
other policy influencing people gives them a chance to take a
leadership stance on the matter. Federal government and
Congress had yet another opportunity to push forward
alternative energy technologies, cleaner environment and
strategically important issue of dependence on limited fossil
fuels. Many European countries and Japan have extensive
support programs for many types of renewable energy
applications and energy efficiency technologies. Countries
like Japan, Germany and Netherlands are in lead positions in
relying more on sun, wind and water for most of their energy
needs. The United States has the brainpower, resources and
entrepreneurial spirit not to only catch up, but to play a
leading role in clean technologies and their applications on
national level. Solar Decathlon 2005 was to demonstrate that
all the technologies that are necessary to build a
self-supporting energy efficient building are available on the
market and ready to start off a new era of sustainable
housing.
Solar Decathlon 2005 has
clearly demonstrated a solid proof that sustainable housing is
possible and, although it is still quite expensive, all the
technological barriers have been overcome. The wide range of
technologies, energy efficient appliances and building
materials can meet various needs and requirement of potential
building occupants. Two main directions of energy efficiency
and renewable energy production are rapidly developing, making
clean technologies more affordable and economically viable.
Some of the issues still remain
as obstacles in wide spread application of clean technologies.
Houses presented to the public attention at Solar Decathlon
2005 were extremely expensive. At $400-$500 per square foot,
the direct costs for a single house were above $300,000.
Market price of such houses with the land and other expenses
would go way above $500,000. It is rather expensive for 500
square feet house! An average American family needs a house of
at least 2000 to 3000 square feet. Such houses would be
unaffordable for the majority of Americans. This puts
significant limitations for sustainable housing market
development.
At Centaurus Technologies and
Innovations, our prime objective is synergetic integration of
the best applicable set of technologies for each individual
building. While whole-building approach is not new,
integration of various technologies is a continuous challenge.
Committed to research and development, we use a slightly
longer list of patented and to-be-patented technologies that
would further improve energy efficiency of buildings. These
are technologies that can help save more on electricity, heat,
and water. CTI is developing specially designed financing
tools, which, unlike houses presented in Washington, D.C.,
would make our buildings affordable today. With our built-in
systems sustainable housing becomes financially affordable and
with some of smart-house technologies applied will be a
no-brainer even for a non-specialist.
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Solar Decathlon 2005
Sunlight finally broke through the clouds after 10
days of raining.
University of Missouri-Rolla and Rolla Technical Institute
Roofing material is PV batteries on the top of
Midwest type house.
University of Michigan
Sleek and futuristic design of MiSo: aluminum and
glass.
University of Maryland
Architecture, exterior design, and energy
technologies complimented each other in solar houses.
Polytechnic University of Madrid
PV
and Solar heating systems with Energy saving technologies.
Cornell University
Thin PV panels and Evacuated Tubes for Solar water
heating.
California Polytechnic State University
Grey water storage and recycling for indoors and
outdoors.
Bathroom Decoration
All teams had interior designed with taste and
scrutiny.
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