Solar homes ready to compete in Washington

By ABB Communications

The TU solar house entry, dubbed "surPLUShome," also showcases ABB's lead in the fields of renewable energy and energy efficient building control.

Professor Thomas Hartkopf, Chair of Regenerative Energies at the Institute for Electric Energy Systems at the TU Darmstadt recently joined Bernd Wagner, Bernd Jung and Christian Chowanietz from ABB in Heidelberg to talk about the project's origins and challenges.

Professor Hartkopf, how did you first react to the idea of participating in this competition?

Hartkopf: My first reaction was positive. Many ideas in the field of renewables exist only on paper, since they can't be tested for commercial projects. The Solar Decathlon is a chance to realize these ideas, to test them and learn from them.

Are the TU’s ideas visions, or can they be turned into reality?

Hartkopf: We (TU and ABB) had already been working together in the early stages. Right from the start, ABB contributed its know-how to help realize TU’s ideas. It was understood by us very quickly that ABB, with its innovative products, is already prepared for the future.

Wagner: I agree. ABB experts have proven they are prepared for the future, and the Technical University has proven it has innovative power, and also that this innovation can actually be turned into something practical, that people can use.

Innovations and visions are one thing – but who benefits from them?

Hartkopf: In addition to harnessing innovative technology, it was also important to us that people feel comfortable in the Solar Decathlon house. But while it should be a comfortable house, that comfort should not harm the environment.

Wagner: Yes, this was an important aspect. This is about our contribution to a worldwide architectural competition of high-tech houses, but every craftsman should be able to identify with it. Every product we used is mass produced, available at a retailer. So, in this house you don't need to be a master in IT studies to turn on the lights.

What aspect of the project made the greatest impression on you, or was your biggest challenge?

Wagner: A big challenge was definitely to equip the house in such a way that the energy which it needs to operate could be supplied by the house itself. And we wanted to do this with mass produced products, not custom products. And all of these had to be considered, sorted and then integrated in the smallest of spaces.

Jung: I totally agree. But even so, after we had the material we needed to commence building, the architects still came up with some special orders; for instance, a standard two-meter high distribution cabinet suddenly could only be 40 centimeters high, in order to fit under the staircase. Here as we confronted new challenges and mastered them, our expertise was needed. For example, when we ran out of space in another part of the house, we had to find flexible solutions. And because of the structured cable duct we used, we could do a simpler, more orderly installation which is also a benefit for disassembling the house.

Hartkopf: Right. Although everything had to be installed flexibly, so the house could be disassembled for shipping, we found that the ABB technology we used was always extremely reliable.

Will TU and ABB work together in a future project, or in the next Solar Decathlon 2011?

Hartkopf: We make a good team, so we will certainly talk to ABB first regarding the next project of this type, as well as for the next Solar Decathlon competition.

Wagner: I can us working together in the future, too. In particular, because we’ve seen that our mass produced component portfolio has been able to support such an innovative and visionary project.

Read about Team Spain's innovative B&W House at the Solar Decathalon, also sponsored by ABB.