Project Description
FROM WESTERN NEW ENGLAND UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSIDAD TECNOLÓGICA DE PANAMÁ AND UNIVERSIDAD TECNOLÓGICA CENTROAMERICANA, HONDURAS:
The EASI
(Efficient, Affordable, Solar Innovation) house is a practical design that
achieves net-zero energy usage from the electrical grid. Team Massachusetts
& Central Amercia (MASSCA) brought three universities together to design and
build an efficient home for first-time buyers or a typical family of four. The
team is an international collaboration composed from Western New England
University located in Springfield, MA, Panama’s Universidad Tecnológica
de Panamá (UTP),
and Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana (UNITEC) of Honduras.
This
cross-disciplinary project involved majors from engineering to business in the
various aspects of bringing the house from concept to construction.
The EASI house is
based on a modular design, with affordability as the top priority. The design
of the two-bedroom, one bath, 680 square-foot model significantly reduces
construction costs, allowing for emphasis on solar and space saving
innovations. The house has a 20 solar array 5 kilowatt system using the latest micro
inverters from Enphase Energy as a power source. This is sufficient for daily
activities, thus making the house net-zero in energy consumption.
The EASI house
has been made possible thanks to the generous sponsors. Excel Homes of Liverpool,
PA, is the builder backed by the main project contractor, Fuller Modular Homes
of Enfield, CT. Menck Windows of Chicopee, MA, is providing energy-saving windows,
featuring the company’s innovative tilt and turn technology. Resource Furniture
has increased interior space through the usage of its space saving furniture
throughout the house. The EASI house also features energy-efficient fans with
automatic sensors and controls from Big Ass Solutions to keep the occupants
comfortable.
When the
competition is complete, the EASI house will return to Western New England
University and serve as an educational tool for students and the public.
Western
New England University and Universidad Tecnológica de
Panamá have also teamed up for the inaugural Solar Decathlon Latin America
& Caribbean competition to be held in Colombia in December 2015.