Solar panels installed on buildings to supply their energy needs are now common throughout the world.
However, installing solar panels that produce much more than the building consumes is a newer idea. The buildings contributing a large margin of energy beyond their own needs which adds to the common supply, to the regional electrical grid.
Therefore, the building is not just self-sustaining—it produces an ‘energy profit,’ a return that can contribute to the ownership of the building itself. The Solar / Max dwellings produce between 5X and 6X the power that they consume, giving an ‘energy profit’ of 400-500%.
The Solar / Max Prototype—currently unbuilt, but seeking funding—investigates to what extent market-rate housing in the USA can be a significant producer of electrical power. Can housing, in effect, become a solar field?
The housing is built under large arrays of solar panels on roofs, which are oriented south for maximum efficiency, at 30° in the case of North Texas, the intended region.
The individual dwelling is on two levels and faces a large enclosed courtyard, which provides the necessary spacing between the solar roofs. The dwelling has an occupied area of 1865 ft2, or 173 m2. The living / dining / kitchen area on the ground level has a continuous porch facing the courtyard, along with a garage for two vehicles. On the upper level are two bedrooms and a ‘Flex Room,’ a space that can serve many functions—as a third bedroom, a home office, a playroom for children, etc.
Two stairs go to the upper level. They provide more privacy for the occupants and help circulation efficiency.
The roof is covered with solar panels, except for access along the edges per U.S. codes. A servicing trolley, like a window washing unit, moves up and down on tracks to clean and repair the panels.
In terms of construction, the lower level exterior walls are built with insulated cement blocks (OmniBlock) having a U-factor of 0.05. The upper walls and the floors and roof are conventional American wood framing, heavily insulated. The exterior cladding will be either stained wood or ribbed metal panels.
The dwellings are assembled in pairs, sharing a common wall. These pairs can, in turn, be arranged in various patterns. However, since the housing produces so much more power than they consume, the prototype can be usefully mixed with other housing types to provide electrical
Category:Multi-Family HousesYear:2023Location:Texas, USA Architects:Edward M. Baum Architect LLC.Lead Architect: Edward M. BaumClient: Urban Edge Developers LimitedPhotographer: Courtesy of the ArchitectsSolar Consultant:Dr. Timur Dogan
