Tianjin University
2010 Solar Decathlon
In 2010, "Sunflower," a unique Chinese-style eco-friendly house, represented Asia for the first time in the Solar Decathlon competition and attracted the world's attention. The Solar Decathlon, founded by the United States Department of Energy, has been held four times in the United States and was held for the first time in Europe this year. The competition is a showcase of experimental creations from universities around the world, integrating solar energy, energy conservation, and architectural design to build a fully functional, comfortable, environmentally friendly, and sustainable living space that uses solar energy as the only energy source, and to promote this renewable energy-based "future house" to the market.
Dalian Quacent, from the initial design of the work to the later trip to the competition site in Madrid, Spain, provided technical support and material sponsorship to the teachers and students of Tianjin University throughout the process. Dalian Quacent's technical staff and Tianjin University teachers and students completed the construction of the house within 10 days. This competition experience has also accumulated rich experience for Tianjin University to win the championship in the Chinese International Solar Decathlon competition in 2022.
This 74-square-meter, one-bedroom cabin incorporates the latest technological achievements in the fields of architectural design, building structure, solar thermal, photovoltaic technology research, efficient comprehensive utilization of solar energy, solar building integration, distributed energy systems, microgrid technology, building intelligent control, comprehensive energy-saving of household appliances and equipment, and new building materials. It adopts passive building design technology and combines active solar energy utilization technology. Through system optimization and integration, it achieves the organic combination of active and passive technologies, intelligent regulation and control of the building environment, and maximizes the efficient use of solar energy while saving energy.
The cabin uses environmentally friendly building materials, household appliances, and equipment and creates a comfortable and healthy indoor and outdoor environment through efficient and intelligent control of the physical environment of sound, light, heat, and other buildings. The cabin also adopts an eco-friendly wood structure system and green and environmentally friendly steel structural components that are suitable for China's economic development level. It can further reduce costs in large-scale construction and promotion and achieve the goal of "low cost and ultra-low energy consumption."
The cabin strives to highlight the characteristics of Chinese architecture in its design, highlighting the classical Chinese philosophy and humanistic features of "unity of nature and man." It draws on the traditional architectural spaces and styles of the northern courtyard houses, Yunnan's "one-indigo" and "Huizhou architecture," and the application of passive natural adjustment technologies, such as natural lighting and natural ventilation, to maximize energy savings in the building. At the same time, the use of lighting courtyards, hollow wooden lattices, bamboo forests in front of the door, flower pools, wooden bridges, flowing water, and other structures and facilities reflects the cultural heritage of traditional Chinese architecture.
