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Solar home in Va. getting high marks
Associated Press ^ | Sat Jan 27, 6:03 AM ET | MATT REED,

Posted on 01/28/2007 8:06:46 AM PST by BenLurkin

RICHMOND, Va. - State Sen. Frank Wagner is staying warm at his temporary address, even in below-freezing weather and without a traditional power supply or fireplace.

The Virginia Beach Republican, a proponent of alternative energy sources, is living for a week outside the Science Museum of Virginia in a solar-powered house designed and built by Virginia Tech students. He moved in Wednesday.

Using a remote control and a computer, Wagner is testing whether the award-winning home can generate enough electricity from the sun to run everyday home appliances — and still have enough left over to send to Richmond's power grid or charge an electric car.

"The house is designed to be self-sufficient, but there's a lot of things that could be adapted into existing houses today," he said Friday, after spending his second almost glitch-free night in the 800 square-foot home.

The house is warmed by heat that comes up through the floor, and has a rainwater harvesting system and automated mood lighting. It also features a wide-screen TV and kitchen appliances chosen for their energy efficiency.

These features can be manipulated while sitting on a couch and tapping on a tablet computer connected to the building's control system. All of it is powered by the sun's energy, which is gathered by rooftop photovoltaic panels and stored in the home's battery system.

"We want to show that you don't have to huddle around candles and be dressed in all your clothes to be comfortable in a house powered by solar energy," said Robert Schubert, associate dean of research for the College of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Tech.

The home was built by 80 Virginia Tech engineering and architecture students and eight faculty members over 2 1/2 years.

It won fourth place overall at the 2005 Solar Decathlon — an international competition on Washington's National Mall sponsored by the Department of Energy. The home won first place recognition for its design and electric lighting and has since been featured on ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and HGTV's "I Want That!"

Schubert said no one had previously lived in the house, but then Wagner volunteered to be the university's guinea pig, helping bring the house some publicity. Wagner made the offer after touring the house in September at a Virginia Tech-hosted energy symposium.

Wagner said the house has been comfortable, but when the temperatures dipped into the 20s Thursday night, it froze the building's water supply, sending him elsewhere for a shower Friday before heading to the General Assembly.

___


TOPICS: Science; Society
KEYWORDS: alternativeenergy; energy; republican; solar; solarhome

1 posted on 01/28/2007 8:06:48 AM PST by BenLurkin
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To: Uncledave

ping


2 posted on 01/28/2007 8:14:53 AM PST by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

It's nice that he's doing it but it's going to take more than a few "almost glitch free nights" to make any firm determinations.


3 posted on 01/28/2007 8:22:38 AM PST by cripplecreek (Peace without victory is a temporary illusion.)
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To: BenLurkin

bump.


4 posted on 01/28/2007 8:33:34 AM PST by khnyny
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To: BenLurkin

would a solar home get low marks ever?


5 posted on 01/28/2007 8:53:33 AM PST by Cinnamon
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To: BenLurkin; martin_fierro; pissant
...automated mood lighting...
Uh, I don't wanna know what you have to stick in the socket to make that work...
6 posted on 01/28/2007 7:53:00 PM PST by SunkenCiv ("In theory, theory and practice are the same, but in practice, they're not." -- John Rummel)
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To: BenLurkin

VA? Maybe. NY? Ha!


7 posted on 01/28/2007 8:47:57 PM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: BenLurkin
and automated mood lighting.

Isn't that what happens when the power supply declines? Didn't they used to be called *brownouts*?

8 posted on 01/28/2007 8:49:32 PM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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