Engineering Design

Group: Team USA

Submitted to: Bevin Etienne Project Engineers: Katie McNeil, Bradley Wagner, Cailyn Spencer, Stephanie Howard

Content
- Abstract - Mission Statement Customer Needs

- Introduction - Location - Concept Generation - External Research - Concept Selection - General Construction - Appliances - Conclusion - Appendix - Works Cited

Abstract This initiative is to design an affordable and ecological friendly home. Incorporating new technology and simplistic designs we are achieving a level of sustainability and longevity that is suitable and adaptable for all lifestyles. The design incorporates specific materials and products that when combined will provide a safe, comfortable, and affordable home for its occupants. Through the use of this building we hope to facilitate new eco-friendly designs that accommodate the demands of modern convinces and family lifestyle. The building is mainly concrete and metal with a square living area of 1782. Mission Statement: Our goal is to create an energy efficient home that is comfortable for our family of four. We will not only consume minimal amounts of energy but we will produce our own energy as well. Doing so in an environmentally safe fashion is of the utmost importance and will be done within the given budget. Customer Needs Analysis: The first owners of this home have a family of four. They have their own needs we are catering to including their low income, allergies, and space requirements. Our family needs: At least two bedrooms and one bath; kitchen; living room; storage; air filter; reliable necessities; meets safety standards; low energy and water usage; total affordability under $160,000; low monthly costs under $500; basic appliances; Through these requirements we have developed a list of additional preferences. These preferences include: two livable floors; a negative energy consumption; passive and active systems; a higher longevity.

Introduction: Our main goal is to design a family home that is affordable to construct, maintain, and reside. To achieve this goal we worked as a team collaborating on products and design elements to incorporate in our design. In doing so we created a home design that can comfortably house a family of four. The house accommodates their need while not consuming excessive amounts of energy. This house, The Nest, has significant global meaning. A house similar to this would help foster a sense of ecologically friendly production and consumption. With its inexpensive construction, quick speed, and flexibility. Location: The site chosen for The Nest is a plot of land in Harrisburg. The area was chosen primarily because of the amount of sunshine hours the house will receive. The area also provides the family with amenities. We believe that constructing this house in such a populated area will be a beacon of what an environmentally conscious house can provide. The regions height is typical of Pennsylvania and has no outstanding land features that will impact the house design. The average temperatures stay between 23-85 degrees Fahrenheit. The wind speeds are minimal and do not impact house design. The sunlight is crucial in maximizing the efficiency of the house. Although this design is applicable in a variety of climates and conditions we decided to go for the maximum savings for the first build. Harrisburg has a solar irradiation level of 3.92 kW/m^2/d. This will help show exactly what can be saved by construction of The Nest.

Concept Generation: The house itself could be made out of many materials. Two were suggested, concrete with insulating block forms, and the traditional wood. These designs would be complimented by different structure materials such as more insulation for the wood construction. The only approved idea for house shape was rectangular in nature due to the increased cost and difficulty from rounded edges and odd shapes. The roof design had two ideas. There was a dome-like structure increasing surface area while increasing thermal efficiency and heat absorption from the sun, and the traditional roof with solar panel shingles. For the floor plan there were three ideas. The first was a simple one floor ranch style design. The other two consisted of two floors with the difference being a two story house and a partially underground bottom level. The interior walls could have been built from multiple materials. Our group suggested both metal interior walls and wooden interior walls. The interior design was developed by a general room placement discussion. We talked about where exterior doors were going to be and what room should go on which floor. At this point it was a general consensus to have a two story partially underground home. We have decided to put the bedrooms together on the upper floor with the full bathroom. The kitchen was also placed upstairs. There were multiple green ideas to be incorporated in this design. We decided to have heat produced by an air pump outside, geothermal heat gains from the earth, a housing orientation to get the most sunlight, windows with glazing to trap heat and let in light, and thin interior walls for easy heat transfer. Another system we included in the house was inside the

roof. The insulation of the house is on the ceiling instead of along the roof line. This allows air flow under the roof via channels which can pump the cool air or channel wind hitting the house into the top floor through an inexpensive vent system. This also allows passive cooling during summer months. While there are other energy considerations like wind and hydro we quickly decided upon solar. We knew already that wind speeds were very low in Pennsylvania and that hydro systems could be too complex and expensive to maintain. There are other parts of our property that also help with the eco-footprint of our house. We are including a garden and small composting section for leftover waste. As for the rest of the construction we went with traditional designs because they tended to work the best. Normal wooden stairs and metal supported wood subflooring. Inside the house we knew we were going to go for the most efficient appliances and devices. We used federal guidelines with average power and water consumption rates to pick the most efficient affordable products. External Research: Location was heavily researched for our project. We first consulted the NOAA and their weather analysis to find that Pittsburgh had the most sunlight per year in Pennsylvania in the last 60 years. After this realization weather.com and homer were used to predict the potential energy production of the solar panels and the temperature variances for heating and cooling needs. The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association recommends a minimum of r38 attic insulation and r13 wall insulation for the region of Pittsburg which is similar for any other location in Pennsylvania.

Over the course of the project multiple websites were used for reference material and product decisions. ICF housing structures were researched through cement.org and icfhomes.com. Research into HVAC systems was done for us by the government. Their PNNL letter report compares low level loads of residential HVAC systems. This technical report links over 30 other sites that can be referenced through the report. For solar energy we went to Wholesale Solar, Canadian Solar, Mr Solar, Harbor Freight, Solar Electric Supply, and USA Wholesale Solar. This allowed us to get an idea about solar system sizes and prices. After that we plugged in the data to Homer. Further research into solar energy was provided by geostellar.com which calculates the earths seasonal angel, weather cycle, and actual data from the area to help get a more accurate number of Kwh provided by the solar system. Windows and insulation were thoroughly covered in the websites we had already looked at so there was no need to do additional research to know which type of efficiency and price points we wanted to include in our house. Appliances. Our group made a list of appliances that were needed by the family. We then looked up efficiency standards issued by the government from the EPA, Energy Star Ratings, as well as CEE Tiered efficiencies and the SEER scale. We then searched popular sites like, Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buy, Walmart, Sam club, Sears, and manufactures websites that include LG, Westinghouse, Maytag, Samsung, and Mitsubishi Electric. We gathered a list of appliances under each category and found the most efficient ones that way.

Concept Selection: So far in the process we have a list of building products, design styles, appliances, material types, and subsystems (like geothermal air, solar panels, etc.). For each of these categories we gathered the information for each product and looked at the input and output resources, convenience, size, and price of each item. Afterwards we talked about the advantages and decided upon one product from the list. A few notable examples are below. The housing structure would either be concrete ICF or wood construction. After looking at the average prices per sq ft and noting the additional insulation without additional cost for the concrete structure we decided to build with insulating block forms. We also noted that it would be easier to construct the interior walls since the blocks are drywall ready and have channels for electric and water utilities. For interior walls we had suggested either metal or wood walls. While neither would have to be replaced with the first few decades the longevity, price, and conditions of metal walls won out. The metal walls could hold more weight, were lighter, insect and rot resistant, and thinner. Metal walls were a more ecological choice for us as well since normally wood is sprayed with chemicals to increase longevity and increase rot and insect resistance. We decided not to subject our family to the chemicals and potential mold problems of wooden walls. We also pointed out that metal walls provide less of a barrier for temperature control which is a plus considering heating and cooling does no heavily rely on ductwork. The metal walls also obviously dont transmit fire well. For the roof style two concepts were pitched. One being a smooth curved concrete surface allowing thermal transfer during the winter while minimizing surface area or the traditional roof structure. This was possibly one of the longest decisions our group talked about.

Concrete was more expensive in this case, but lasted longer, required no upkeep, and provided a passive cooling system. Instead we chose the wooden roof. This design is simple, time tested, made eco-friendly, and cost effective. The roof incorporates a passive cooling design instead of supporting solar panels. The shingles are normal shingles with a 35-year replacement, and otherwise lifetime warranty. The wood roof was also safer for our family in case of a fire, in which firemen traditionally break the roof to spray down on a fire. We also incorporated outside designs as well. We are going to plant trees that will shade the house in the summer, but allow sunlight in during winter months while not blocking the solar panels. Also our family will be able to grow their own food in a garden and have a small compost area in their yard for food scraps and easily compostable items. Finally we decided to place the lower level of the house partially underground. Like most decision our group made this was almost immediately unanimous. The advantages or a house like this is the extra heat during the winter, and extra cooling during the summer. Being underground also decreasing the exterior surface area. The lower level is not completely underground however because we realized that having windows downstairs would significantly reduce the need for light. General Construction: The Nests construction begins like many houses do. Firstly there is a foundation poured for the underground floor. After that SmartBlocks are assembled on site for the exterior walls. By utilizing these insulated forms we cut the typical house construction time to a maximum of four months. Using metal beams to hold the ground floor up this ICF construction style provides affordability the peace of mind that few potential catastrophes will harm the house. After the exterior is poured and the base floor is laid the interior wall construction is completed. We are

using metal interior walls for their durability and use of use. They offer a variety of advantages to wood including the lack of water damage, no animal problems, and increased structural support. With these elements combined our house is essentially disaster proof and will last decades, potentially centuries longer than conventional home constructions. In addition to structural features there are specific design elements that help the house function efficiently. There is additional insulation boards on the structure. There is also a solar air heater alongside the house which provides an additional heating element. The construction time is also aided by the fact that workers can install subsystems quicker using SmartBlocks and metal walls than conventional methods. Appliances:

Kitchen: Dishwasher- Whirlpool WDF310PAAD. This dishwasher exceeds federal water efficiency requirements, has multiple controls, and is teir 1 cee efficient with energy star certification. This also includes a soil sensor to end the cycle early if dishes are clean. Refrigerator- Igloo 10 cu. ft. top freezer. Compared to the national average of 500 kwh this 295 kwh fridge has space for our family while remaining energy star efficient. Toaster- Black & Decker T2030 This 850 watt toaster provides lifetime quality while not consuming over 1000 watts like many other models. Bathroom:

Toilet- TL-6900-EW High Efficiency Dual flush 1.2gpf toilet This dual flush toilet provides water when needed but provides significant long term water savings. Bathtub- Bootz Bathtub Bootz produces this tub in an eco-friendly process. Showerhead- EcoFlow shower head This 6 spray showerhead offers a max flow rate of 2 gpm with water saving technologies and options from full spray to a trickle with a push of a button. With optiflow design water force is increased by 30% over other shower heads allowing less water to actually be used. Washroom: Washer- MayTag 3.5 cu-ft High efficiency top loader. This product has intelli fill, plenty of user input options, smooth balance, low water settings, a lifetime drum and is energy star and teir 1 cee efficient. Dryer- Samsung 7.2 cu-ft 9 cycle ultra large capacity dryer. This dryer is twice the size of the washer allowing it to be ran fewer times. This product includes a dry sensor to end the cycle early if clothes are done and wrinkle prevention technology. Others: Water Heater- Eco Smart 11kw Electric Tankless Water Heater This small but powerful machine uses self-modulating technology to produce hot water rapidly without excessive use of electricity. This model can heat over 2gpm

and is rated as whole home for our house with a lifetime warranty. This model has a 99.8% energy efficiency rating is ETL certified in America. House Conditioner- 19 seer Mitsubishi 22000 btu ductless heating and cooling system. This has enough power to heat and cool the house efficiently alongside the other alternative systems. Television- Westinghouse UW40TC1W 40 inch 1080p 120 hz This is a large television which is energy star efficient and uses slim and smart design technology. This television actually uses 98kwh a year. Air purifier- Whirlpool Whispure True HEPA Portable Tower Air Purifier. This air purifier removes air particles down to .03 microns with 99.97% removal rates. This HEPA filter is also certified to remove mold and allergens. It uses a charcoal pre-filter and can replace a 200 sq ft rooms air 4.8 times an hour. This system is perfect for our families upstairs and down stairs need in addition to providing a powerful fan system. Conclusion: Computational Results: Price : Final Statements Home Energy Consumption: 557kwh/month (640 +15%) Using an Excel chart for small appliances all electronic devices were researched using national average use for a family of four and/or manufacturer records and government testing data to calculate the kwh usage of each system. These include 98kwh for each television, 295kwh for the refrigerator, other considerations were led lights from geostellar, and the amount of electricity for heating and cooling using the SEER rating and system size. This energy

consumption could be potentially lowered considering our higher than normal r-level insulation and passive systems cant be fully factored in. Home Energy Production: Approx. 900 kwh/month (765 -30%) We purchased a 7000 w with micro inverters for only $14,000 from SolarWorld. The original value (from Homer) was 600 kwh but Energy Matters, an Australian gps oriented solar potential calculator gave a higher energy production amount (This program includes system inefficiencies, axial tilt, and testing actually done in Harrisburg). Hand calculations using government data and system size provides a minimum of 6 hours a day, .58% chance of sun, with an 80% system efficiency (The micro inverters are 95% efficient) provides a production of 600 kWh which is similar to what Homer produced. This standard calculation significantly reduces the amount of energy produced and conflicts with most data collected about energy production with a 7kw system in Pennsylvania, but still covers the energy consumed.
Predicted Cost (Including Most Labor): Item- Used Cost (Predicted Cost) SmartBlocks- $9,800 Concrete- $10,500 @ $150 per cubic yard Roof- $3,500 Metal Interior Wall- $5,000* Used I Beams- $2,000 Electrical Wiring- $5,000* Foundation Digging- $2,000 Appliances- $7,000 ($5,500) Plumbing- $2,000** General Construction Materials- $10,000 Floors, GIF Breakers, Ceiling, Homosote Board, etc. Solar Panels- $14,000

Gravel Driveway- $1,200 Landscaping- $3,000 SubTotal $75,000 Tax and 15% extra - $90,750 *Homewyse.com **Homeadvisor.com

All the materials in the house are design to be easily replaceable and have an afterlife use, or have a longevity well past numerous decades. The concrete structure itself has not failed from age in any example since the early 1900s, the roof components can be replaced after multiple decades and can be recycled. The metal walls can also be recycled but will last much longer than any wood component used in traditional houses. As for appliances and such they have all been in eco-friendly manners with recycling standards. After all of the designing and accommodating the familys needs, our budget has $70,000 left. This budget can be used by the family to further personalize the house or incorporate more green design into the home. The Nest accomplishes all of its main goals and exceeded the groups expectations. Through hard work and creative process we have crafted a design that will make the Earth a cleaner place to live

Appendix:

Upper Floor

Lower Floor

Standard Predicted Output 600kWh a month at 40.2 degree tilt. Radiation by Month
January 0.456 1.910 February 0.476 2.660 March 0.538 4.080 April May June July 0.524 5.030 0.526 5.790 0.543 6.290 0.528 5.960

August 0.527 5.320 September October November December 0.533 4.400 0.531 3.280 0.474 2.130 0.454 1.710

Units/ Hshld

Energy/ Unit kWh/yr

Energy/Hshld kWh/yr

Average Cost/

Average Total

unit

Cost

Fan (Ceiling)

Window Air Conditioner

HVAC Controls Home Security System Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter Sump Pump

Heat light
Garage Door Opener Carbon Monoxide Detector Smoke Detectors Garbage Disposal Doorbell Home Entertainment First TV Second TV Third TV Fourth TV Fifth or More TV Blueray Player DVD Player VCR

0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 2 4 0 1

50.0

380
20.3 195.1 6.2 40.0 13.0 35.0 17.5 3.5 10.0 44.0

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 12.4 0.0 0.0 35.0 35.0 14.0 0.0 44.0 215.5 112.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 71.3 71.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 29.8 0.0 0.0 24.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 152.7 135.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 50.0

100.0 160.0

30.0 200.0 50.0 250.0 30.0 20.0 300.0 50.0 1500.0 700.0 350.0 200.0 100.0 60.0 50.0 100.0 150.0 300.0 20.0 250.0 150.0 150.0 250.0 30.0 100.0 0.0 0.0 150.0 300.0 600.0 40.0 50.0 70.0

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 60.0 0.0 0.0 250.0 60.0 80.0 0.0 50.0 1500.0 700.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 60.0 50.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 40.0 0.0 0.0 150.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 150.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 70.0

Wii Xbox360/PS3
Clock Radio Boombox / Portable Stereo Compact Stereo Power Speakers Subwoofer Radio Equalizer Satellite Dish Box Cable Box Kitchen Microwave Chest Freezer Extra Refrigerator Coffee Maker (Drip) Coffee Maker (Percolator) Toaster Oven

1 98 1 112.7 0 66.7 0 52.1 0 45.8 1 71.3 1 71.3 0 71.3 0 24.1 0 63.1 2 14.9 0 16.8 0 112.3 1 24.4 0 68.3 0 9.1 0 14.7 0 131.7 1 152.7 1 0 0 0 0 1
135.1

300 475
99.3 65.0 50.0

Toaster Waffle Iron Blender Can Opener Electric Grill Hand Mixer Electric Griddle Popcorn Popper Espresso Machine Instant Hot-water Dispenser Hot Plate Food Slicer Electric Knife Broiler Deep Fryer Bottled Water Trash Compactor Slow Cooker / Crock Pot

Laptop PC (Plugged In) Desktop PC w/ Speakers PC Monitor Printer (Laser) Printer (Inkjet) shredder DSL/Cable Modem Scanner Office Massage Chair Bathroom Hair Dryer Curling Iron Electric Shaver Electric Toothbrush Charger Garage & Workshop Lawn Mower (Electric) Pipe and Gutter Heaters Shop Tools Other Humidifier Dehumidifier Water Bed

1 43.7 0 25.0 1 7.0 0 3.0 0 180.0 0 2.0 0 6.0 0 5.0 0 19.0 0 160.0 0 30.0 0 1.0 0 1.0 0 80.0 0 20.0 0 300.0 0 50.0 1 16.0 2 47.0 0 143.9 0 119.8 0 92.5 1 39.0 0 13 1 17.6 0 49.0 0 7.8

43.7 0.0 7.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 16.0 94 0 0 0 39 0 17.6 0 0

50.0 50.0 50.0 20.0 50.0 50.0 40.0 30.0 180.0 40.0 50.0 100.0 20.0 150.0 60.0 300.0 600.0 50.0 700.0 700.0 150.0 150.0 150.0 70.0 80.0 150.0 150.0

50.0 0.0 50.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 50.0 1400.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 150.0 0.0 80.0 0.0 0.0

1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0.6 1.0 12.8 19.3 42.9 53.0 26.4 100.0 100.0 1068.1

0.6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

50.0 40 70.0 60.0 300.0 100.0 400.0 150.0 200.0 1500.0

50.0 40.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Vacuum Cleaner (Upright) Cordless Phone Cell Phone Charger Electric Blanket Answering Machine Battery Charger Fan (Portable) Air Cleaner Surge Protector / Power Strip Timer (Lighting) Timer (Irrigation) Iron Baby Monitor Fixed MELs Pool Heater (Electric) Pool Pump (Electric) Hot Tub / Spa Heater (Electric) Hot Tub / Spa Pump (Electric) Well Pump (Electric) Total MEL Load

1 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

31.0 23.2 77.4 120.0 33.5 14.8 11.3 65.7 3.9 20.1 45.2 53.0 22.8 2300.0 2228.3 1704.0 460.0 400.0

31 0 154.8 0 0 0 22.6 0 3.9 0 0 53 0 0 0 0 0 0 1487.4

200.0 40 0.0 80.0 0.0 0.0 40.0 150.0 20.0 40.0 50.0 40.0 30.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 300.0

200.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 80.0 0.0 20.0 0.0 0.0 40.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 5430.0

Sources http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USPA0679 http://shrinkthatfootprint.com/average-household-electricity-consumptiov http://www.naima.org/insulation-knowledge-base/residential-home-insulation/how-muchinsulation-should-be-installed.html http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/ccd-data/pctposrank.txt http://www.geostellar.com/solar-energy/7618-allentown-blvd-harrisburg-pa-171124231/40.3360172938168,-76.7279304405842 http://www.cement.org/think-harder-concrete-/homes/building-systems/insulated-concrete-forms http://www.icfhomes.com/

http://buildblock.com/icf_home_plans.asp http://www.apexblock.com http://www.smartblock.com http://www.energymatters.com.au/climate-data/ http://www.homewyse.com/services/cost_to_frame_interior_wall.html http://www.ledlightingcalculator.com.au/ http://www.pnnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-23017.pdf