20 09…
Four students with a passion for energy conservation joined forces with a professor who believed Purdue could help move the
the sun in one hour
than is used by everyone in the world in one year.
U.S. Department of Energy
Two years, hundreds of volunteers and
Initiative has set a goal
Purdue University INhome team took second
formed a campus-wide team of scholars, met challenges with determination and ingenuity and never strayed from their main goal.
The world’s largest
solar energy station in the Mojave desert produces 354 megawatts of electricity.
The team successfully demonstrated to the public that a greener way of life can be affordable, achievable and attractive. They proved that the future of renewable energy is now.
Energy-efficient windows, doors, and skylights—also known as fenestration—can help lower a home’s heating, cooling, and lighting costs.
of making solar energy
cost competitive by the end of the decade.
Solar
technologies available today provide enough
electricity to power 730,000 American homes.
PATENT
Proper moisture control and ventilation strategies will improve the effectiveness of air sealing and insulation, and vice versa.
check
PENDING
What you can do
Find more at www.energysavers.gov
SunShot
place at the international U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011. In the process, they
to green building
falls on the earth
national conversation on solar energy forward.
thousands of sweat equity hours later, the
5 steps
More energy from
BIOWALL
raise the roof
and find: An energy-efficient home begins with the structure. The Purdue team used Structural Insulated Panels, harnessed the sun’s rays through solar panels and windows, centralized the mechanical systems (heat, air, water), created open (and ventilating) spaces with a clerestory ceiling and ensured tight seals throughout.
A cool roof is one that has been designed to reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat—also known as solar reflectance and thermal emittance—than a standard roof.
Photovoltaic (solar) panels generate a surplus of energy during the day, which can be sold back to the local electric utility.
greener
pastures:
How you live affects the amount of energy you need. The INhome team regulated its energy use with appliances with the highest Energy Star ratings, a patent-pending biowall for air filtration and LED lighting. Several systems — including heat, air, lights and locks — are all accessible via a webenabled smart phone.
setting on your water heater. Each 10-degree reduction in water temperature saves 3–5 percent in energy costs.
Turn down the thermostat when you are away and upgrade to Energy Star appliances.
Consider investing in LED light bulbs. They can reduce electricity
use by 75–80 percent. Energy Star-qualified LEDs last up to 25 times longer than the traditional incandescent bulbs they replace.
Grow indoor plants for a naturally clean, fresh home.
want all the footage? Use trees and other plants to help shade your home if needed to help reduce cooling costs; use windbreaks—tree and/or shrub plantings—around your home if needed to help reduce heating costs.
Reduce your water heating costs by simply lowering the thermostat
www.youtube.com/ watch?v=0N-KGH-nIbw
For a thorough and accurate measurement of air leakage in your
home, hire a qualified technician to conduct an energy assessment, particularly a blower door test. A complete energy assessment will also help determine areas in your home that need more insulation.
Install low-flow devices on your water taps and showers.
For energy savings and convenience, consider turning off your
computer monitor if you aren’t going to use your PC for more than 20 minutes. Turn off both the CPU and monitor if you’re not going to use your them for more than two hours.
plan to make a
difference: U.S. Department of Energy energy.gov
National Renewable Energy Laboratory www.nrel.gov
smart grid
www.smartgrid.gov
Purdue INhome
www.purdue.edu/inhome
Purdue University College of Technology www.tech.purdue.edu
Purdue Energy Center
www.purdue.edu/ discoverypark/energy
building
blocks: Education is a central component of every Solar Decathlon competition. While student teams are able to show off their creativity, they must be able to describe the benefits of each component of their home to a variety of visitors. The INhome will continue to be a research tool for the next five years, educating more students and homeowners about efficient living.
facts 1,000
worth repeating U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011
in Washington, D.C.
houses in West Lafayette
summer camp participants toured the home, learned about efficient energy consumption,
and helped build parts of the structure.
Topics tackled by team members: Essential – sustainable lifestyles economic, ethics, safety, social, environmental, manufacturing, health, teamwork, marketing.
are important
for U.S. goals of energy independence or
Vocabulary: mitigating climate change Net-zero, passive design, thermal bridging, monocrystalline photovoltaic panels
Comfortable –
homeowners don’t have to sacrifice
Efficient – modern homes modern amenities can be made to use much less energy to live more sustainably
One of seven
An equal access/equal opportunity university Produced by Purdue Marketing and Media COT.11.2023
teams to produce more
makes the world green
visitors during public open
18,500 150 College of Technology visitors at the
what we do
Cost effective – homeowners can save money over time
by investing in
electricity than they used efficiency technologies today
going, going green:
The College of Technology’s focus on energy and sustainability did not stop once the INhome was placed on a permanent foundation in Lafayette. In fact, this area of research has been the foundation for several high-profile projects in recent years. The global effort to find alternatives to fossil fuels will make this a particularly fruitful area for years to come.
evGrandPrix: Electric go-karts help the colleges of Technology and Engineering teach the next generation of automobile designers about electric vehicle advancements. EcoCar 2: A multi-year project, headquartered in the College of Technology, that challenges teams to convert a Chevrolet Malibu into a hybrid, electric or fuel-cell vehicle to reduce its environmental impact without compromising performance, safety and consumer acceptability Smart Grid: The Crossroads Smart Grid Workforce Development Program identifies and creates necessary courses for engineers and technologists who will be employed in the electric utility field. Green Enterprise Development program: Curriculum used nationwide to help manufacturers and others apply sustainable, environmentally friendly practices in the workplace. The trainer curriculum was created by a professor in the College of Technology. Alternative transportation power: Faculty and students are researching and testing alternative power sources for aviation at the National Test Facility for Fuels and Propulsion and for large commercial vehicles in the new Hoosier Heavy Hybrid Center of Excellence (H3CoE).
sustainable generati n The Purdue University Solar Decathlon team and its educational legacy.