Team New York: The City College of New York
Solar Roofpod
Solar Roofpod responds to the fact that urban rooftops are largely under-used. Intended for existing mid-rise buildings, the house enables eco-conscious city dwellers to live lightly by producing solar power, cultivating roof gardens, and retaining and recycling storm water.
Design Philosophy
Solar Roofpod adopts a modular, yet customizable, approach to assembly. The one-story penthouse has variable cladding on the 64 poplar wood-framed "building blocks" of the envelope. These building blocks—glazed, opaque, louvered, or screened—can be custom-assembled based on the variables (such as solar orientation, predominant wind direction, and preferred view) of each site.
Features
- The modular dwelling unit is designed with components that can be arranged in multiple configurations.
- The rooftop-mounted solar trellis protects the house from heat gain and is easy to upgrade with new photovoltaic technologies.
- A power and water use indicator helps residents monitor their daily consumption.
Technologies
- Each solar panel has a micro-inverter to optimize system output.
- The solar thermal collectors distribute the sun's heat through a radiant floor system.
- The thermal storage system uses paraffin as the phase-change material to reduce the size of the tank by half.
- An energy management and control system ensures comfort and regulates energy consumption.
Market Strategy
The Solar Roofpod is a "penthouse with a purpose," designed to respond to the market for economical new housing in cities. The target market is urbane, ethnically diverse, and progressive singles, couples, and young families.
What's Next
There are two possible future scenarios for the prototype Solar Roofpod. The house may return to The City College campus in West Harlem for use as a visitor center and classroom for sustainability education or it could become part of the school's planned environmental science center on Pier 26 in Tribeca.
