Case Study on Team Daytona Solar Decathlon Home: Forever Home Design Enables Families to Live Sustainably and Affordably Without Sacrificing Comfort

08/09/2021 at 2:17 pm by Blomberg

A unique partnership between Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Daytona State College has created the BEACH (Building Efficient, Affordable and Comfortable Homes) House – their first-ever entry in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon. The competition challenges the 12 participating university teams to design and build full-sized solar-powered houses, which are then disassembled, shipped to Denver, Colo., and reassembled for judging and exhibition to the public on Oct. 5-9, and 12-15, 2017. Team Daytona’s BEACH House offers an aging-in-place design that can be fully ADA compliant with only minor cosmetic changes, allowing the homeowners to stay in the home as long as they wish. Passive, energy-neutral technology is incorporated throughout the house to perform in Florida’s hot humid climate. Blomberg (www.blombergappliances.com), an ever-expanding line of contemporary European design and energy efficient products for builders, designers and architects of multi-unit buildings, is providing appliances for the home. “Through the BEACH House, we hope to show our community that comfort and affordability do not have to be sacrificed to live sustainably,“ says Daytona State graduate Stephanie Kowalak, the team’s architecture manager. Approximately 40 ERAU engineering students and 15 Daytona State students have been involved since the design was accepted into the Solar Decathlon competition in early 2016. The home is being built at Research Park East, an annex of Embry-Riddle. “The students are benefitting from every aspect of the on-site experience, from team building, to developing an interest in sustainability, to learning about clean energy job opportunities and more,” said Embry-Riddle graduate student Jenna Beckwith, Solar Decathlon team leader for mechanical engineering. The 950-square-foot home is centered by a galley kitchen that leads to an eastside dining and living area, while the west end consists of two bedrooms and one bath. Adding outdoor living space is a large deck on the south with a hydroponic garden, and a shaded front porch on the home’s north side. With its coastal contemporary look, the home brings in the outdoors through a neutral palette of sand, white and earth tones, with pops of blue and coral. “A huge revitalization effort to bring Daytona’s historic downtown back inspired our team to build a home for the community we want to become,” Beckwith said. “While the size of the Beach House is common to local homes built in the 40s and 50s, it features more energy efficient windows, locally sustainable sourced woods, and modern construction methods, while costing approximately $186,000.” A 10 kw photovoltaic battery powers the entire house, helping to offset the need for power from the electric grid. A cross ventilation system in the vaulted ceilings allows beach air to enter the home and refresh its occupants, while reducing energy consumption. The automatic system measures indoor and outdoor temperatures, and if conditions are right, opens strategically placed upper windows to let heat out or cool air inside the home. Other key features include: ADA-compliant bathroom with roll-in shower, grab bars and comfort-height toilet and vanity with removable shelf that accommodates a person in a wheelchair 36” openings in all rooms and 45” around the kitchen island to accommodate wheelchairs Hydroponic garden for growing fresh herbs and vegetables year-round; can reduce water consumption by up to 80 percent Rainwater collection off the south roof to water the hydroponic garden on the south deck and all landscaping Ductless HVAC system for more accurate climate control and a greater aesthetic appeal; up to three different zones allow for specific temperature for an individual room without having the whole system running at one temperature. Solar Decathlon ChallengeThe winner is the team that best blends design excellence and smart energy production with innovation, market potential, and energy and water efficiency. Team Daytona will receive prize money of $100,000 for its participation, and the overall winner will receive $300,000. “We’ve done our research, put a lot of time into the design, and as a result, we believe our team will do well in all 10 competition events,” Beckwith said. These include architecture, market potential, engineering, communications, innovation, water, health and comfort, appliances, home-life and energy. After the competition, the BEACH House will be on display at the International Builders Show in January 2018, and then may be sold to maintain the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University building efficiency program. The $400,000 budget for the Solar Decathlon project was offset by a $90,000 contribution from Embry-Riddle, as well as fundraising, in-kind donations and support from industry partners. When Blomberg came forward as a Solar Decathlon sponsor, Team Daytona Beach discovered the company had won the 2017 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year award and that their appliances were among the most energy efficient in the market. “The Blomberg appliances provided maximum energy efficiency in a smaller footprint and their contemporary design fit perfectly with our cabinetry and overall aesthetic,” Kowalak said, who is a kitchen and bath designer. “We’re excited to use the appliances when we host two dinners and a game night for other decathletes and VIP guests during the competition.” After looking at the specs, the team selected six Blomberg appliances for the BEACH house including: Refrigerator (BRFB1322SS) – 24” wide, 12.9 cubic foot, counter-depth; NoFrost and Duocycle features keep food fresher longer; white LED lighting reduces energy efficient consumption; fingerprint-free stainless steel Cooktop (CTE30400) – 30” black frameless cooktop with four cooking zones and nine cooking levels per zone; touch-sensitive front controls; residual heat indicators; vitroceramic glass for easy cleanup Built-In Wall Oven (BWOS30100) – 30” wide convection electric wall oven; 3D cooking function; eight built-in functions and a programmable digital timer; pyrolytic self-cleaning function Dishwasher (DWS55100SS) – 18” ADA height, fully integrated dishwasher with 49dBA Silent Operation; brushless DC™ motor with variable speed that allows optimum amount of water and energy Compact Washer (WMY98400SX) and Dryer (DV17542) – large capacity with 2.5 cu. ft. washing capacity and 3.7 cu. ft. drying capacity; 24” front-loading washer with 1,400 RPM maximum spin speed and 16 washing programs; 24” electric vented dryer with 16 drying programs; chrome door Several Blomberg dishwashers made this year’s ENERGY STAR® Most Efficient list, and all models have earned ENERGY STAR marks for using advanced technology to clean dishes brilliantly with less water and energy. Unique design features include multiple insulation layers to reduce thermal loss, and a variable speed circulation motor that automatically adjusts for optimum water and energy consumption. Blomberg’s ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators also save energy and money and conserve the planet. They are built with 99.9 percent lead-free materials, are 100 percent free from ozone-depleting greenhouse gases, and are manufactured with 85 percent recyclable components. In fact, the company has achieved the ENERGY STAR certification for over 90% of the major appliances. According to the EPA, appliances with the ENERGY STAR label can help a consumer save $630 over a product’s lifetime. Blomberg is part of Beko US, Inc., which was founded in June 2016 and opened a distribution center in Bolingbrook, Ill. “Everything we do is centered around sustainability and innovation,” said Hasan Yardimci, president, Beko US, Inc. “Our support of the Solar Decathlon is in keeping with our commitment to provide consumers with products that are both good for the globe and support their everyday needs.” # # # About BlombergEstablished in 1883 in Germany, Blomberg has delivered quality and innovation in the appliance and metal industries for more than 130 years. Arçelik A.Ş., the third largest appliance manufacturer in Europe, acquired Blomberg in 2002. As a widely valued international name, Blomberg has established itself in North America since 2008 with an ever-expanding line of contemporary European design and energy efficient products for builders, designers and architects of multi-unit buildings. The company utilizes the most advanced technology and features, and the highest quality materials to achieve cutting-edge performance found in larger footprint homes, but optimized for smaller urban living spaces. For more information, visit http://www.blombergappliances.com.