Dutch Students Design Revolutionary Solar Power ‘Skins’ for Historic Homes in the Netherlands

Students at the <a href="http://www.tudelft.nl/en/current/latest-news/article/detail/studenten-tu-delft-maken-hollands-rijtjeshuis-tot-energie-neutrale-woning/%22" target="_blank">Delft University of Technology</a> have developed a revolutionary new method for converting historic buildings into modern energy-saving structures. The university students developed "solar panel skins" that slide over typical post-war row homes, allowing residents to take advantage of the benefits of <a>solar energy</a> while preserving the look and feel of their cherished historical dwellings.

According to Delft University, approximately 60 percent of Dutch citizens live in row houses and 25 percent of those homes are from the post war period.

Many residents would like to incorporate energy saving and sustainable features to their homes, but without the inconvenience of a large renovation project that would certainly sacrifice the historic feel of the neighborhood.

Although beloved by the city's population, the row homes have incredibly outdated climate and spatial conditions.

The Delft students' innovative idea for solar panel skins came from the desire to protect these local historic buildings while moving their energy generation and consumption into the 21st century.

Since the post war homes obviously were not built with solar aspects like orientation and adaptation, the skins' main design approach covers the homes with a glass and photovoltaic "drape" on the predominate solar orientated side of the home for harvesting heat and energy.

For optimal temperature control year-round the skins are adaptable. They are closed during the winter months and in the spring and summer months, the skins open to provide indirect and direct natural ventilation.

From the outset of the design process, the students focused on an aesthetically pleasing structure that would provide the optimal climate performance for the houses while at the same time maintaining the comfort of the residents.