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This past weekend the winners of 2011 Solar Decathlon ^[6] were officially announced in Washington DC and Team Maryland took first place ^[7], however we'd also like to shine a light one of our favorite sun-powered prefabs: Team Massachusetts' 4D Home ^[8]. Designed for the harsh climate of coastal New England, this elegant prefab draws from traditional gable house ^[9] vernacular while incorporating a 21st century set of passive and active building strategies to produce more energy than it consumes. The home features a beautiful trellis topped with 28 high-efficinency SunPower photovoltaic panels ^[10], a solar thermal system that provides 90% of the home's domestic hot water load, and a flexible floor plan that can easily adapt to changing family needs. Read on for an exclusive look inside!

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Photo by Jill Fehrenbacher

The 4D Home ^[8] beautifully blends traditional architecture with modern building techniques to create an exceptionally efficient off-grid home that can produce more energy than it consumes. The heart of the home’s active energy generation system is a 6.4 kW array of 28 “E19 238″ SunPower photovoltaic panels rated at 19.1% efficiency – that means’ they’re able to convert a fifth of the sun’s energy in to clean electricity. The panels are perched atop a south-facing trellis which also serves to shade the home from the brunt of the sun’s heat. A set of hybrid solar thermal panels mounted immediately behind photovoltaic modules serves as a heat sink that reduces the temperature of the photovoltaics while providing 90% of the home’s hot water needs.

An ultra-efficient 16 SEER heat pump and a heat recovery ventilator round out the project’s active strategies, providing ventilation while capturing 85% of the thermal energy from the home’s air before it is circulated outside. The 4D Home is designed to have a net negative energy balance during the cold winter months, and it is expected to produce an abundance of electricity during the summer, generating a surplus of energy each year.

Photo by Jill Fehrenbacher

The two bedroom prefab’s smart Passive House ^[11] design aids the active systems by greatly reducing the need to heat and cool the interior. The home’s structural system is designed to minimize thermal bridging ^[12], and the gable layout creates space for massive insulation cavities that are filled with blown-in fiberglass and closed-cell polyurethane spray foam ^[13]. As a result the home’s insulation r-values ^[14] are exceptional: the walls are R-56, the floor is R-57, and the roof is R-64. Meanwhile, a set of triple-pane Makrowin ^[15] windows allow daylight to flood the interior while boasting a solid rating of R-7.5.

The 4D Home’s interior elements were carefully considered as well – all of the furniture, decor, and housewares were designed and built by the student team. A moving wall system allows the interior to be easily reconfigured – for instance, the living and dining rooms can be expanded to host larger gatherings. The floor plan central work space that serves as a buffer between the living and dining room and the more private rooms in the back. All of the home’s appliances are ultra-efficient and energy-star certified, including a stand-by heat pump water heater and a Whirlpool ^[16] refrigerator that uses less electricity each year than a 60-W lightbulb.

+ 4D Home ^[8]

+ Solar Decathlon ^[17]

+ Inhabitat Solar Decathlon Coverage ^[6]