Solar Decathlon 2011
Team New Jersey: Rutgers — The State University of New Jersey and New Jersey Institute of Technology
ENJOY House
Team New Jersey's entry for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011, ENJOY House, suggests a new way of approaching high‐performance, energy‐efficient residential design. Cutting‐edge fabrication techniques meet the age‐old technology of concrete in its intelligent design. The roof's inverted‐hip shape is calibrated for optimal solar energy and rainwater collection, contributing to an architecture informed by performance criteria.
Design Philosophy
The ENJOY House integrates passive strategies, new solar technologies, and contemporary architectural ideas. Built of pre‐cast concrete insulated panels, the house requires little upkeep compared with traditional stick‐frame materials. The highly insulated building envelope and passive solar strategies significantly reduce heating and cooling loads.
Features
Team New Jersey aims to create an affordable, functional, energy-efficient house suited to the climate of New Jersey. To accomplish these goals, the ENJOY House features:
Concrete panels in all roof, wall, and floor assemblies that use varied casting processes
Perforations that allow for daylighting and dramatically improve thermal performance
An inverted‐hip roof that allows for rainwater collection.
Technologies
ENJOY House incorporates strategic technologies, including:
Evacuated solar thermal tubes that heat domestic hot water and provide preheating for the hydronic radiant floor
Fiberglass-framed windows that are high-performing, energy-efficient, and durable
A 9-kW photovoltaic system with a target daily electric output of 36 kWh
Energy recovery ventilators and dehumidifiers that keep cool air inside the house while providing fresh air from outside.
Market Strategy
The ENJOY House is intended for a couple that retires to the Jersey shore. With a retiree's needs in mind, the team has designed a 960-ft2 (89-m2) house that is ADA-accessible. Team New Jersey has integrated universal design principles into its architecture to create a house that is accessible to people of all ages and levels of mobility.
Contact
Clinton J. Andrews
E.J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
33 Livingston Ave. #302
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: 732-932-3822 x721
Fax: 732-932-2253
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The members of Team New Jersey (courtesy of Team New Jersey).
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A computer-generated rendering of Team New Jersey's ENJOY House (courtesy of Team New Jersey).
A video walkthrough of Team New Jersey's Solar Decathlon house.
Team Deliverables
Neither the United States, nor the Department of Energy, nor the Alliance for Sustainable Energy LLC, nor any of their contractors, subcontractors, or their employees make any warranty, express or implied, or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness for any purpose of any technical resources or data attached or otherwise presented here as reference material.
