YOUR HELP IS NEEDED FOR THE MOST INNOVATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE PROJECT IN MASSACHUSETTS
The U.S. Department of Energy has given us this opportunity to show the world how we can advance affordable and sustainable housing, but we cannot do it without your support! We have task of raising over $500,000 to make this once in a lifetime possibility a reality. Your contribution will not only advance public higher education and alternative energy solutions, it will give us the chance to enlighten masses that will enter our home and leave knowing that change is possible.

In addition to web and media exposure, another exciting opportunity for sponsors of Team Massachusetts has become available. Thanks to the City of Boston, the team will be constructing, testing, and exhibiting the 4D Home in the Marine Industrial park in Boston's Innovation District this summer. All sponsors of Team Massachusetts will have the opportunity for signage at the Boston Build Site, gaining exposure not only to energy industry professionals, educators and students from all over New England, and also the many tourists coming from the nearby cruise terminal.

Sponsorship details can be downloaded here: sponsorship_details.pdf (PDF 217KB). If you don't have a PDF reader, please download it here.

Contact Chelsea Kelley if you are interested in supporting Team Massachusetts.
Chelsea.kelley@4dhome.us
617 721 6452

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Engineering

During the shorter and colder months of winter, the 4D Home will have a net negative energy balance. However, by taking advantage of summer’s high sun and long days, we will produce an abundance of electricity during that season. The result is a small yearly surplus. Also, we are able to lower our electricity consumption substantially by using a solar thermal system to meet 85% of our Domestic Hot Water (DHW) load.
Photovoltaic Panels
Photovoltaic System

The 4D Home will employ building-integrated photovoltaic panels in order to reduce cost and improve the exterior appearance of the home. For our conceptual design, we have the high-efficiency PV panels integrated into the southern trellis over the deck, where they will not only generate the house’s electricity, but also shade the deck and living room in the summer, while still allowing low-angle sunlight to penetrate in the winter.

The photovoltaic system is an array of 28 E19 238 panels from SunPower Corporation. They are made from mono-crystalline silicon cells that are 19.1% efficient. They convert nearly one fifth of the sun’s energy that strikes their surface into clean, pollution-free electricity. The array has been integrated onto a trellis to serve as a shading device in the summer, thereby decreasing the heat gain and reducing the air conditioning load. This configuration also helps to cool the panels through increased airflow beneath the array. The array is matched to a pair of very efficient inverters from Solectria Renewables, which convert the direct current electricity from the array into alternating current used in the house. Taken as a whole, the PV system is rated at 6.4 kW AC, a size that guarantees the 4D Home to be net-zero over the course of a year.

Hybrid Panels
Hybrid Solar Thermal Panels

The hybrid solar thermal panels are the most innovative technology used in the 4D Home. Unlike typical solar thermal collectors which are mounted independently, Sun Drum’s collector panel mounts directly to the back surface of a PV module to form a hybrid panel, harnessing the power of the sun into electricity and heating. From exposure to sunlight, heat is transferred from the panel to the liquid inside the Sun Drum collector. The heated liquid is pumped to a hot water tank, where its heat is transferred to the domestic hot water system. The temperature of the PV panel is lowered during this process, and therefore its efficiency and electrical energy output is increased compared to an non-hybrid panel. The energy that would ordinarily be lost outside is captured by the hybrid panel to provide 90% of our hot water needs during the competition.

heat pump
Heat Pump and Exchanger
A highly efficient, ducted 16 SEER heat pump is used to minimally heat and cool the house. This unit, unlike conventional heat pumps, is able to maintain a high level of efficiency well below 32° F and is driven by an inverter, allowing a varied output based on demand to save energy when possible. Its outdoor unit is exceptionally quiet to reduce noise pollution. A small heat recovery ventilator is used to bring fresh air into the house and capture up to 85% of the energy from the exhausted air. This device maintains a comfortable air quality inside the home during seasons when windows and doors are normally closed. The dehumidifier utilizes a desiccant material and water partially heated from our solar panels, and thus is much more energy efficient than typical plug-in dehumidifiers found in most homes.