Solar Decathlon 2011: FLeX House Expands and Contracts to Beat Florida’s Heat

Posted By Tafline Laylin On June 6, 2011 @ 1:20 pm In Architecture,Solar Decathlon | No Comments

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Florida's 2011 solar decathlon team has conceived a sleek plan to beat the state's crippling summer humidity with this attractive FLeX House ^[6]. A flexible, modular building system that can be modified to suit anyone, anywhere, it was especially designed with a young middle-income, sun-kissed Florida couple in mind. Using superior insulation, the latest energy efficient technologies ^[7], and recycled materials -- among an assortment of other techniques and technologies -- the FLeX house aims to be the ultimate net-zero home ^[8].

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Combining conservation measures and state-of-the-art technology, the team has developed a home that will be comfortable any time of year. With sliding glass panels and passive design ^[9] elements that optimize day lighting and reduce solar gain, the FLeX house will comprise both photovoltaic panels and solar thermal con­centrating panels to use as little energy as possible.

There will be no need for an energy intensive heat pump since water will be heated with a solar system, and the interior will be adorned with a waterfall that actually removes moisture from the air to reduce humidity levels. Just about everything we can think of has been incorporated into this very high-tech home, including embodied energy calculations, recyclable building materials ^[10], and much more, showing off the Florida team’s amazing conceptual prowess.

+ FLeX House Florida Team ^[6]

Article printed from Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building: http://inhabitat.com

URL to article: http://inhabitat.com/the-flex-house-expands-and-contracts-to-beat-floridas-heat/

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[3] Email: mailto:?subject=http://inhabitat.com/the-flex-house-expands-and-contracts-to-beat-floridas-heat/

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[5]  : http://inhabitat.com/the-flex-house-expands-and-contracts-to-beat-floridas-heat/florida-team-flex-house-10/?extend=1

[6] FLeX House: http://www.flexhouse.org/about/

[7] latest energy efficient technologies: http://inhabitat.com/lung-shaped-fuel-cell-increases-energy-efficiency/

[8] net-zero home: http://inhabitat.com/zero-carbon-and-zero-energy-solar-training-center-opens-in-germany/

[9] passive design: http://inhabitat.com/slunakov-eco-education-center/

[10] recyclable building materials: http://inhabitat.com/company-to-recycle-used-syringes-into-building-materials/

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