The Morningstar: A hybrid concept for community building and renewable energy

This paper presents a concept for community building and renewable energy that was developed and tested by the 2007 Penn State Solar Decathlon Team. This concept, the MorningStar, demonstrates a practical hybrid prefabricated / site-built design that is easily adapted to multiple contexts. The hybrid energy system serves to demonstrate regional solutions in which integrated energy efficient and renewable energy strategies can be customized and affordably integrated into new or retrofit building projects. The team tested the hybrid concept through a design-build process that resulted in two prototype homes, an 800 square foot (sf) zero-energy home designed for the 2007 National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Solar Decathlon competition and a 1015 sf two-bedroom affordable prototype home that demonstrates the market potential of the hybrid concept. Both homes serve to advance and promote energy-efficient construction and the use of residential-scaled solar energy systems.