homes archives - planet forward - 克罗地亚vs加拿大让球

thinkeco goes to college

wed, 19 sep 2012 15:30:02 +0000

college campuses are energy guzzlers. i know because i just graduated from indiana university. as an environmental enthusiast that is worried about the future of our planet, i don’t know of a quicker, cheaper or more convenient way to avoid wasted energy. thinkeco’s modlet was created by a small group of people that want to see the planet move forward. by making modlets plentiful on u.s. college campuses, it will be amazing to watch the savings soar – knowing it didn’t take millions of dollars or excessive retrofitting to bring about real, good change.

]]>

protecting neighborhoods from wildfire

wed, 15 aug 2012 15:57:58 +0000

water is pumped out of a pond or swimming pool, or from a fire truck tanker. it is pumped into a grid of hoses that are deployed, in a neighborhood, from reels on trucks. the hoses have two chambers. one chamber is used for moving the water and the other chamber has holes in its walls which create a spray of water that comes out of the hose to put out fire.

the spray can be enabled or disabled, by remote control, in each segment of hose between valve boxes (which are shown in blue in the figure). the homes are orange, the pump is red, the streets are gray, and the water source is blue.

the hoses have a wire pair that is embedded in the hose walls. the wire pair supports an ethernet type of digital network that allows for the remote control of the valve boxes. the system would be inexpensive and can be seen at www.electric-fluid-pipeline.com.

]]>

episode 8: walkthrough — net-zero energy, comfortable living, efficient technology

fri, 26 aug 2011 11:30:35 +0000

new zealand: victoria university of wellington is the first team from the southern hemisphere to compete in the u.s. department of energy solar decathlon 2011. the team has made this video walk through of the first light house – take a tour through the house and see what makes it unique.

visit the solar decathlon category page!

looking to keep track of team new zealand?

click here to view the previous idea submission from new zealand’s solar decathlon team. for access to the entire archive of new zealand solar decathlon 2011 videos: visit the member page

]]>

episode 6: finishing touches — roof installed as first light house nears completion

wed, 24 aug 2011 11:30:15 +0000

new zealand: victoria university of wellington is the first team from the southern hemisphere to compete in the u.s. department of energy solar decathlon 2011. they have made a series of video blogs which follow their progress in the lead up to the competition in washington, d.c.

visit the solar decathlon category page!

looking to keep track of team new zealand?

click here to view the previous idea submission from new zealand’s solar decathlon team. for access to the entire archive of new zealand solar decathlon 2011 videos: visit the member page

]]>

episode 5: foundation for success — mainzeal assists build team with structure and logistics

tue, 23 aug 2011 11:30:57 +0000

visit the solar decathlon category page!

looking to keep track of team new zealand?

click here to view the previous idea submission from new zealand’s solar decathlon team. for access to the entire archive of new zealand solar decathlon 2011 videos: visit the member page

]]>

episode 4: construction site — materials arrive along with dinner

mon, 22 aug 2011 11:30:50 +0000

visit the solar decathlon category page!

looking to keep track of team new zealand?

click here to view the previous idea submission from new zealand’s solar decathlon team. for access to the entire archive of new zealand solar decathlon 2011 videos: visit the member page

]]>

episode 3: the whole country – a merry new zealand christmas

fri, 19 aug 2011 11:30:07 +0000

new zealand–victoria university of wellington is the first team from the southern hemisphere to compete in the us department of energy solar decathlon 2011. they have made a series of video blogs which follow their progress in the lead up to the competition in washington dc.

visit the solar decathlon category page!

looking to keep track of team new zealand?

click here to view the previous idea submission from new zealand’s solar decathlon team. for access to the entire archive of new zealand solar decathlon 2011 videos: visit the member page

]]>

episode 2: the kiwi bach – explaining the home’s design, building the brand

thu, 18 aug 2011 11:30:19 +0000

new zealand: victoria university of wellington is the first team from the southern hemisphere to compete in the us department of energy solar decathlon 2011. they have made a series of video blogs which follow their progress in the lead up to the competition in washington dc.

visit the solar decathlon category page!

looking to keep track of team new zealand?

click here to view the previous idea submission from new zealand’s solar decathlon team. for access to the entire archive of new zealand solar decathlon 2011 videos: visit the member page

]]>

flex house: construction in florida’s rainy season

thu, 18 aug 2011 10:00:08 +0000

flex house is designed in a holistic way as a sustainable, pre-fabricated, maximized efficiency house prototype that can adapt easily to different site situations and plan configurations. flex house is a prefabricated net zero energy home prototype that combines the wisdom of vernacular florida architecture with cutting edge approaches to renewable energy.

flex house is a “starter home” for a young, moderate-income couple living in florida. by design, flex house can adapt easily to different site situations and plan configurations. as a family grows, modules can be added to expand the living space.

team florida designed flex house with florida’s hot, humid climate in mind. flex house utilizes both passive and mechanical systems to provide a comfortable living environment year-round. one of the most striking surface features of the house serves as a key passive cooling strategy. a system of cypress louvers covers the house, providing shade and preventing heat gain during the hottest summer months. the louvers are movable, much like window blinds, and can be adjusted to let it light as needed.

flex house construction began in may, and is now over 70 percent complete. the process has been covered by multiple major media outlets in the tampa bay area. the house is scheduled for completion the first week of september even though we have experienced delays due to unforeseen circumstances, such as poor weather.

flex house is team florida’s entry in the u.s. department of energy solar decathlon 2011.

visit the solar decathlon category page!

]]>

two bedrooms, one bath, one-third average annual energy use

thu, 18 aug 2011 02:30:09 +0000

this video is part of a series of four videos (walkthrough, market appeal, architecture, and engineering) submitted to the department of energy for the competition. to see the rest of the videos, visit our planet forward ideas page. this video describes the market appeal of self-reliance, team middlebury’s solar decathlon home. self-reliance is the only house in the 2011 solar decathlon designed for a family of four, and this feature allows our home to appeal to a broad audience. this summer the middlebury solar decathlon is building a small, 100% solar-powered home that will compete in the us department of energy solar decathlon 2011 competition. the solar decathlon is a biennial green-building competition that brings together 20 collegiate teams from all over the country and world to showcase their solar homes on the national mall in washington d.c. this competition is one of the most ambitious and inspiring events in the country, as it challenges these teams to demonstrate inventive clean-energy solutions, feature cost-effective and energy-efficient construction, and incorporate energy-saving appliances and renewable energy systems within their 100% solar-powered homes. team middlebury’s home, “self-reliance,” strives to do all this as it reinvents the iconic new england farmhouse, integrating today’s efficient technologies into a home for a vermont family of four. it is our belief that living sustainably can be facilitated by beautiful, comfortable, and practical design. when architecture and technology are used wisely together to utilize the power of the sun and other renewable energy resources, our impact on this earth is greatly reduced. as we construct our solar-powered home this summer we hope to offer a sustainable solution to life in the 21st century. we invite you to follow our construction progress over the next 12 weeks via the weekly videos we will be posting with planet forward. it is our hope to extend this learning opportunity to a greater community beyond middlebury, and inspire others to turn to sustainable design practices as well. please stay tuned! for more information about the middlebury solar decathlon team, please visit http://solardecathlon.middlebury.edu/

visit the solar decathlon category page!

looking to keep track of team middlebury?

click here to view the previous idea submission from middlebury’s solar decathlon team. for access to the entire archive of middlebury solar decathlon 2011 videos: visit the member page

]]>