The California team from Napa Valley competing in the national mall Solar Decathon to build the futuristic, energy-efficient home, has completed the Refract House. The idea behind the Refract House - life follows the sun. The sun enters the home in the east to wake the residents. As the sun rises, its light enters the kitchen and central areas. It provides light for afternoon indoor activities and the backyard.
This home was designed with California in mind. Every room in the house has access to the patio, a feature that can be utilized in California year-around.
The Refract House was designed with aesthetics in mind. The whole house is energy-neutral (it actually produces more electricity than it consumes) and significantly reduces water use with low-low appliances and a grey-water reclaim system.
The whole house can be monitored from a website or iPhone. The iPhone has interactive technology that allows the homeowner to change the status of home-systems and monitor consumption/waste.
The home is topped with an 8 kW solar system and two solar-thermal hotwater systems. With these features and the aesthetics of the home, team California proves that you can merge environmentally friendly living with luxury.
California Solar Home on National Mall
Rich Hessler
Solar Solutions
(949) 208-0221
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