ČVUT opened its information center in the solar house
This morning, a new Information Center of the Czech Technical University in Prague was ceremoniously inaugurated in front of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of CTU (Thákurova 7, Prague 6). Its headquarters has become the energy self-sufficient AIR House of CTU students, which won third place in the international competition Solar Decathlon held in California last October. This year, the house received an Environmental Oscar in the E.ON Energy Globe Award Czech Republic 2014 in the Youth category.
"Such a successful student project will function as an information center presenting CTU right in the middle of the campus, serving as inspiration for other students and raising awareness and interest in solar energy and nature-friendly architecture among the public. The information center should be a gateway to the faculties of CTU and simultaneously provide basic information about CTU to other target groups from the public. We believe that this step will increase awareness of CTU and interest in studying technical fields," said CTU rector Prof. Petr Konvalinka.
AIR House is a prototype of a building that is independent of fossil fuels, designed for two very different climates, functional yet beautiful. The house is conceived as a cottage for a two-person household aged 50+, also known as "empty nesters," which can serve as a full-time residence in retirement. The layout concept of AIR House is loosely inspired by the typology of rural architecture and adopts the "L" shaped arrangement of traditional buildings. Life in AIR House occurs in one living space, which can be utilized as an office, workshop, or retail space according to need. A generous outdoor terrace visually and functionally expands the interior. The entire house is made of wood, including the load-bearing structure, thermal insulation, façade, interior surfaces, and built-in furniture.
AIR House works with the concept of a "house within a house," based on the principle of two "skins." The first skin consists of a thermally insulated envelope of the living space. The second skin, a wooden pergola with horizontal and vertical shading slats, serves as a "buffer zone" protecting the house from the effects of sun and wind. AIR House was designed for the conditions of California as a net-zero energy house. During the design of technologies, the primary focus was on simple and natural functioning that would meet the needs and possibilities of the target group.
Electricity for the operation of the house is provided by 33 monocrystalline photovoltaic panels with a peak output of 6.1 kWp. The system will operate in a so-called autonomous (island) mode with backup from the CTU Faculty of Civil Engineering network. The installed photovoltaic panels will supply direct current, which will be converted to single-phase 230 V alternating current using an inverter and utilized to power electrical appliances in the facility. Surplus solar energy will be stored in lead batteries and subsequently used in case of shortage.
To ensure optimal air exchange, a ventilation system with heat recovery is in place, minimizing heat losses during ventilation, which can account for up to 40% of the total heat loss in typical family homes. The hot air ventilation unit is connected to a superior control system and intelligent building management with data collection. The source of heat and cooling is an air-to-water heat pump that extracts low-potential energy from the surrounding air. A solar system made up of two flat-plate thermal collectors is used for heating water and supplementary heating. During periods of low solar intensity, the heating of hot water will be supplemented by the heat pump. A crucial aspect of the solution was the low energy demand during the production and transportation of materials used and the possibility of recycling them after the building's lifespan is over.
Participation in the Solar Decathlon competition within CTU was the first similarly extensive project of interdisciplinary cooperation, involving more than 30 students and young academics from a total of five CTU faculties under the guidance of the Faculty of Architecture. Prof. Zdeněk Zavřel, former Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at CTU, who has supported the students from the beginning, explains: "When the organizers of the Solar Decathlon competition started eleven years ago, I'm sure they thought of Goethe's 'Gray is all theory; living tree is green.' That is indeed the essence of this competition. The realization of what is prepared in university classrooms and laboratories, and there is no better method."
Students from the Faculty of Architecture were responsible for coordinating and managing the project, fundraising, promotion, architectural and construction solutions, interior design, photo and video documentation, and strategy for the final competition. Students from the Faculty of Civil Engineering addressed the energy concept, static and fire safety solutions, and workplace safety. The implementation of the project would not have been possible without the cooperation of students from the Faculty of Transportation, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and the University Center for Energy-Efficient Buildings of CTU.
Success in the Solar Decathlon competition showed that inter-faculty and interdisciplinary projects have a bright future at CTU. "I consider this project a pilot and would like to strengthen a similar collaboration platform and apply it in studio education as well. Joint projects with the Faculty of Civil Engineering and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering are under discussion," appreciated the CTU team's work by the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Prof. Ladislav Lábus.
In the heart of the Dejvice campus, AIR House will continue to be available to students and research. The operation of the employed technologies and materials will also be evaluated by the companies that collaborated on the construction of the competition house. The intelligent electrical installation system, which is designed in AIR House as a combination of a control system for measurement and regulation (MaR) and smart home electrical installation (KNX), will be tested. This communicating unit with a unified web control tool for mobile and PC devices will be used for controlling and regulating lighting, heating and cooling, monitoring electricity consumption and production.
Main focus will be placed on the energy demand of the building, which will be significantly different in climatic conditions of the Czech Republic compared to the situation in California. During the summer, AIR House will be nearly energy self-sufficient, while in winter, a large portion of energy will be supplied from the electrical grid. The system will be automatically controlled, with operational data continually collected, evaluated, and further utilized for research and student projects.
The ceremonial opening was attended by around a hundred invited guests from both the academic sphere and representatives of scientific institutions, companies, and cultural figures, including Mgr. Jan Lacina, Deputy Mayor for Education and Culture of the Prague 6 Municipal District. He sees similar projects as an opportunity to inject new impulses into his district: "Every city must be happy to have universities that bring new life to its existence. Therefore, I welcome this bold step by the CTU management and hope that others will follow, so that Prague 6 comes alive."
"Such a successful student project will function as an information center presenting CTU right in the middle of the campus, serving as inspiration for other students and raising awareness and interest in solar energy and nature-friendly architecture among the public. The information center should be a gateway to the faculties of CTU and simultaneously provide basic information about CTU to other target groups from the public. We believe that this step will increase awareness of CTU and interest in studying technical fields," said CTU rector Prof. Petr Konvalinka.
AIR House is a prototype of a building that is independent of fossil fuels, designed for two very different climates, functional yet beautiful. The house is conceived as a cottage for a two-person household aged 50+, also known as "empty nesters," which can serve as a full-time residence in retirement. The layout concept of AIR House is loosely inspired by the typology of rural architecture and adopts the "L" shaped arrangement of traditional buildings. Life in AIR House occurs in one living space, which can be utilized as an office, workshop, or retail space according to need. A generous outdoor terrace visually and functionally expands the interior. The entire house is made of wood, including the load-bearing structure, thermal insulation, façade, interior surfaces, and built-in furniture.
AIR House works with the concept of a "house within a house," based on the principle of two "skins." The first skin consists of a thermally insulated envelope of the living space. The second skin, a wooden pergola with horizontal and vertical shading slats, serves as a "buffer zone" protecting the house from the effects of sun and wind. AIR House was designed for the conditions of California as a net-zero energy house. During the design of technologies, the primary focus was on simple and natural functioning that would meet the needs and possibilities of the target group.
Electricity for the operation of the house is provided by 33 monocrystalline photovoltaic panels with a peak output of 6.1 kWp. The system will operate in a so-called autonomous (island) mode with backup from the CTU Faculty of Civil Engineering network. The installed photovoltaic panels will supply direct current, which will be converted to single-phase 230 V alternating current using an inverter and utilized to power electrical appliances in the facility. Surplus solar energy will be stored in lead batteries and subsequently used in case of shortage.
To ensure optimal air exchange, a ventilation system with heat recovery is in place, minimizing heat losses during ventilation, which can account for up to 40% of the total heat loss in typical family homes. The hot air ventilation unit is connected to a superior control system and intelligent building management with data collection. The source of heat and cooling is an air-to-water heat pump that extracts low-potential energy from the surrounding air. A solar system made up of two flat-plate thermal collectors is used for heating water and supplementary heating. During periods of low solar intensity, the heating of hot water will be supplemented by the heat pump. A crucial aspect of the solution was the low energy demand during the production and transportation of materials used and the possibility of recycling them after the building's lifespan is over.
Participation in the Solar Decathlon competition within CTU was the first similarly extensive project of interdisciplinary cooperation, involving more than 30 students and young academics from a total of five CTU faculties under the guidance of the Faculty of Architecture. Prof. Zdeněk Zavřel, former Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at CTU, who has supported the students from the beginning, explains: "When the organizers of the Solar Decathlon competition started eleven years ago, I'm sure they thought of Goethe's 'Gray is all theory; living tree is green.' That is indeed the essence of this competition. The realization of what is prepared in university classrooms and laboratories, and there is no better method."
Students from the Faculty of Architecture were responsible for coordinating and managing the project, fundraising, promotion, architectural and construction solutions, interior design, photo and video documentation, and strategy for the final competition. Students from the Faculty of Civil Engineering addressed the energy concept, static and fire safety solutions, and workplace safety. The implementation of the project would not have been possible without the cooperation of students from the Faculty of Transportation, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and the University Center for Energy-Efficient Buildings of CTU.
Success in the Solar Decathlon competition showed that inter-faculty and interdisciplinary projects have a bright future at CTU. "I consider this project a pilot and would like to strengthen a similar collaboration platform and apply it in studio education as well. Joint projects with the Faculty of Civil Engineering and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering are under discussion," appreciated the CTU team's work by the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Prof. Ladislav Lábus.
In the heart of the Dejvice campus, AIR House will continue to be available to students and research. The operation of the employed technologies and materials will also be evaluated by the companies that collaborated on the construction of the competition house. The intelligent electrical installation system, which is designed in AIR House as a combination of a control system for measurement and regulation (MaR) and smart home electrical installation (KNX), will be tested. This communicating unit with a unified web control tool for mobile and PC devices will be used for controlling and regulating lighting, heating and cooling, monitoring electricity consumption and production.
Main focus will be placed on the energy demand of the building, which will be significantly different in climatic conditions of the Czech Republic compared to the situation in California. During the summer, AIR House will be nearly energy self-sufficient, while in winter, a large portion of energy will be supplied from the electrical grid. The system will be automatically controlled, with operational data continually collected, evaluated, and further utilized for research and student projects.
The ceremonial opening was attended by around a hundred invited guests from both the academic sphere and representatives of scientific institutions, companies, and cultural figures, including Mgr. Jan Lacina, Deputy Mayor for Education and Culture of the Prague 6 Municipal District. He sees similar projects as an opportunity to inject new impulses into his district: "Every city must be happy to have universities that bring new life to its existence. Therefore, I welcome this bold step by the CTU management and hope that others will follow, so that Prague 6 comes alive."
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