The building won the inaugural award for affordability at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon in 2011. After the competition, this striking energy-efficient home was moved off the Mall and taken to the Deanwood neighborhood to its new location. Additional modules were brought onto the site where they were assembled into a duplex equipped to provide housing for two families. The house uses Passivhaus design principles and isnet-zero energythanks to a solar photovoltaic system. It has superior installation and uses 12-inch wooden I-joists for walls, with cavities filled with dense pack cellulose insulation.
Related: 2011 Solar Decathlon Home Will End Up In D.C. Community
For its D.C. version, the original design was adapted to Washington’s humid climate, with optimizedsolar gain. The project is expected to have a broader impact and serve as a real home for families across the country. Following the success of its D.C. version, the project will see its continuation in Philadelphia. Which just goes to show that the solar decathlon is more than just a competition — it provides a progressive platform for students to provide solutions to real-world housing needs. We’re so happy to see this project evolve as well as it has.
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