Syracuse University, SUNY Students Design Home with $2/mo Utility Bill



A team of students from Onondaga Community College, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and Syracuse University earned first place honors in the the U.S. Department of Energy’s Challenge Home Student Design Competition in April 2014 in Denver, Colorado by designing a home that fits in a Syracuse, NY neighborhood and ultimately costs just $2 in energy usage per month.

28 teams from United States and Canadian colleges and universities created and presented designs for a cost-effective, zero energy ready home for mainstream builders.

“The team developed an adaptable, accessible Craftsman-style design that embodied responsible development,” the judges said. “The team showed leadership for the sustainable redevelopment of an existing community in Syracuse. The design successfully created a high-performance home that was buildable and appealing. They presented their plans with passion and conviction that showed a strong understanding of building science principles.”

The home design allows for an alternative energy system making the home completely self-sufficient for energy. The design also accommodates people with various physical abilities, including wide doorways, zero-step entry, and accessible bathrooms.

Other highlights of the home:

1,925 square foot single family home

2 stories, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths

Water heat pump tied to Solar Thermal array

Estimated Monthly Energy Cost: $2

The home is designed for a vacant lot on Syracuse’s Hubbell Avenue:

The team hopes that a local builder will complete the project–and their wishes may be fulfilled; a criterion of the competition was that the construction must be realistic. In this case, the median income in Syracuse is $65,000 and the home was designed based on mortgage guidelines that gave the team a budget of approximately $190,000.

Rendering:





Top photo: Alfred State College’s “Zero Energy Demonstration Home“

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