The University of Texas at Austin is partnering with Germany’s Technische Universitat Munchen to build a modular house that runs on water and sunshine for the U. S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition. According to customhomeonline, the home is also net zero for water and energy, and is based in part on the needs of the city of Austin. NexusHaus tells MHPronews 110 people (net) move to Austin daily, putting a strain on the city’s resources, and adding 70 cars to the streets.

All the water that flows into the house is treated as the precious and finite resource it is. The NexusHaus water system directs rainwater through a series of gutters into a thermal storage tank where it is cooled for the hydronic cooling system to be used in peak heat hours. Grey water is treated to irrigate the garden using a drip irrigation method. AC condensate is recycled, and efficient water fixtures lead to a savings of 50 percent water usage over a normal household.

The photovoltaic array of solar panels interfaces with the existing transmission infrastructure, producing more energy than the house consumes with the ability to share it with neighboring homes. The thermal energy storage system coupled with the hydronic HVAC system reduces electricity consumption by 80 percent.

The decathlon competition is slated for Oct. 8-18 in Irvine, California. ##

(Image credit:customhomeonline-modular concept home for Solar Decathlon)

Article submitted by Matthew J. Silver to Daily Business News-MHProNews.