ZERO ENERGY DREAM HOME LAU’S PALS Matthew Vincenzi, Stephen Sawa, Clinton Wright, Vincent Vendetti March 2, 2011

PROJECT OVERVIEW  Design a net zero energy dream home that would be sustainable and energy efficient  Important features:. Electric geothermal heat pump.double 2x4 10” foam Walls.ventilation air recovery Location (city, state) Harrisburg, PA House size (floor area in square feet) 3011 ft2 Number of floors 2 Number of bedrooms 3 Type of heating system (forced air, hydronic, radiant floor, heat pump, etc. Electric geothermal heat pump Main heating fuel (electricity, natural gas, wood, oil, etc.) elctricity Size of photovoltaic system (kilowatts) 6 kW Solar water heater (yes or no) Yes R-value of wall insulation R-42 R-value of ceiling insulation R-60 Ventilation air heat recovery (yes or no) yes Predicted or measured annual energy use 7800 kWh/yr

APPLIANCE SELECTION  We chose most efficient appliances regardless of price because the payback would greatly reduce annual costs of the house:  Whirlpool WTW6340W clothes washer  LG LFC25776 refrigerator  Bosch Integra 500 SHX45P05UC dish washer  SunPower SPR-318-WHT-D solar panel  Solar Inverter (for solar panels)  Geothermal heat pump  Solar water heater

PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN  Most windows on south facing wall to allow most light  Over hang on roof to shield some of the sunlight South

PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN  East and west walls have multiple windows to let in light  Slabs that get direct sunlight from south and east facing windows East West

SOLAR ELECTRIC SYSTEM  Twenty-four 318 W 61x41” solar panels  PV powered solar inverter (54.7v)  6 kW PV system

IMAGES: VERNAL EQUINOX

 Here we can see the effects of the overhangs

IMAGES: SUMMER SOLSTICE  continued

IMAGES: SUMMER SOLSTICE  Solar panels receive most direct sunlight during these summer months

SUMMARY OF DESIGN Penn State Center for Sustainability Zero Energy Home Calculator General InfoHeating & Cooling LocationHarrisburg Type of heating & cooling system Electric geothermal heat pump Electricity cost ($/kwh)0.1 Solar Technologies Conditioned floor area (sq.ft.)3011 Size of PV system (kw)6.0 Number of bedrooms3 Solar water heaterYes Envelope DetailsBehavior Wall construction Double 2x4 with 10" foam Water conservationA lot Ceiling InsulationR60Uses clotheslineA lot Window typeTriple low-eThermostat setbackA lot Upper floor ceiling area (sq.ft.)1273 Heat thermostat setting (F) 70 North wall area (gross) (sq.ft.)1504 Cool thermostat setting (F) 76 East wall area (sq.ft.)333 South wall area (sq.ft.)406 West wall area (sq.ft.)220 North window area (sq.ft.)93 East window area (sq.ft.)179 South window area (sq.ft.)346 West window area (sq.ft.)68 Air tightness Tight with heat recovery Appliances RefrigeratorBest Clothes WasherBest DishwasherBest Amount of other appliancesA lot less

SUMMARY

REFLECTION 1. We learned about calculating energy usages, and efficiencies in way that would help us to design a sustainable, zero energy home. 2. Understanding house systems helps us to understand how other machines and vehicles use energy in all other aspects of our world. 3. We learned that solar energy is very efficient and is capable of providing us with a lot of energy that is needed to run our homes. 4. Zero energy homes don’t necessarily use zero energy, but they significantly reduce energy usage. Zero energy homes are made up of many other energy efficient appliances and systems that help it run. 5. Learning how to allocate and complete jobs efficiently are significant experiences that help with future teamwork experiences. 6. How can you improve your team’s performance on the next project? 7. We could probably do a little more detailed and thorough planning for our next project, but in general we did a good job working as a team. 8. What do you remember most about using SketchUp? 9. SketchUp was an relatively straight forward program that helped us layout the design of our house, and the final product of our house was the most memorable part of using sketchUp.