Like many college freshmen, Tiffany Silverstein signed up for dozens of extracurriculars when she arrived at Vanderbilt University.
One by one, many of them fell off her radar. But one intriguing option held her attention, mainly because of the enthusiasm of the other students involved and the massive challenge it presented.
Together, Team Tennessee, which includes students from Vanderbilt University and Middle Tennessee State University, is working to design and build a family home that is entirely powered by solar energy. They unveiled their design on Tuesday, along with a virtual video tour of the “green” house, which includes a roof lined with solar panels.
The next step is to construct the two-bedroom, one-bathroom home and then break it down, ship it to California and rebuild it for the 2015 Solar Decathlon competition in October sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. Judges at the competition will select a winner based on design, energy production and affordability.
While designing the home, which is dubbed Harmony House, the group tried to create a home that would would be comfortable for a modern family. They included a covered front porch that allows room to entertain and a garden wall in the back to provide shade.
Silverstein, who is now a sophomore majoring in computer engineering and math, said that working on the project for more than a year has opened her eyes to the viability of solar power on a large scale.
“The big catch for a while has been cost,” she said. “That really is changing a lot, and the world of solar power has changed so much in the last five, 10 years even.
“As more people use them, as more companies produce these things, as more people realize this is something they can do, things will get less expensive.”
The students hope to build Harmony House for less than $200,000. After the competition, they’ll donate the finished product to Habitat for Humanity, which has partnered with Team Tennessee.
“Being environmentally friendly is no longer sort of a fringe concept,” Silverstein said. “On an institutional level, Vanderbilt, MTSU and Habitat for Humanity all really care about green technology.”
Reach Adam Tamburin at 615-726-5986 and on Twitter @tamburintweets.
To help
Under Solar Decathlon rules, Team Tennessee must raise the money needed to build, construct and ship the house. To contribute visit http://www.teamtennessee.org and click the “donate” button.
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Students unveil virtual tour of solar-powered house
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