When Your Best Is Not Good Enough: Building on Lessons Learned in the Solar Decathlon Competition to Create Housing that is Actually Affordable

After winning the most affordable house at the 2013 Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, Norwich University students are examining their design in an attempt to further reduce their costs. The information derived from the review is being applied to an interdisciplinary project to build modular “micro-houses”. Similar design criteria are being applied to the micro-houses as was used to develop the Solar Decathlon structure, but with a greater emphasis on the reduction of cost. Each aspect of the Solar Decathlon structure is scrutinized for cost, constructability and energy efficiency. The Solar Decathlon structure provides the students with a known baseline in terms of material performance to make decisions where changes can be made to reduce cost, but retaining the energy efficiency that Norwich University is providing for the residents of Vermont. It is the intent that the students will commence construction of the micro houses in the fall of 2015. Key Phrases: Cost effective; Affordability; Micro House; Solar Decathlon