Colloquia Series

Sustainable and Affordable Home Building

Watch Recording

Feb 27

Thursday, February 27, 2014

5:07–5:07 PM

Feb 27
Thursday, February 27, 2014
7:00 - 8:30 PM

Presented by Penn College faculty, Dorothy Gerring & Robert Wozniak.

Energy efficiency and affordability are crucial to homeowners and tenants, whether the building is new or existing. Because buildings use many resources, there are various opportunities to have a positive impact on general health and wellbeing as well as addressing concerns about climate change.

Efficiency of resources, affordability, livability, and climate are central to the Department of Energy’s first Challenge Home Student Design Competition. Seven faculty and 104 students in 12 majors participated in the first part of the challenge during fall 2013. Two teams will go to the final competition in April 2014 and one team’s plans will be built in Denver, CO.

Penn College students in the Building Science and Sustainable Design major will showcase their entries for the competition and explain the performance principles and criteria they used to create their designs. Architectural faculty will describe building science concepts and show how an energy audit can make your home more comfortable and less costly to operate.

The presentation will include information on improving home efficiency and affordability, provide examples of super-efficient home design, explain how renewable energy can offset energy costs, and compare home performance rating systems. In addition, past examples of student-built housing and campus structures will be shown.

Student Presenters: Maxwell Davert, Michael Engel, Michelle Holzmann, Corey Bittner, Eric Gaydos, Matthew Lech, Melissa Warner

Bibliography

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  • McDilda, D. 2008. 365 ways to live green. Avon, MA: Adams Media.
  • “PHIUSHome.” PHIUSHome. Passive House Institute US, n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2014. www.passivehouse.us/passiveHouse/PHIUSHome.html.
  • Rider, T. 2009. Understanding green building guidelines: for students and young professionals. New York, NY: W.W. Norton.
  • “Rocky Mountain Institute.” Rocky Mountain Institute. Rocky Mountain Institute, n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2014. www.rmi.org.
  • Rogers, E. 2007. The green book: the everyday guide to saving the planet one simple step at a time. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press.
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  • Worldwatch Institute. 2013. State of the world 2013: is sustainability still possible? Washington, DC: Island Press.

Penn College Faculty: Dorothy Gerring

Penn College Faculty: Robert Wozniak