Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Natural Fusion, the solar-powered home designed and constructed by a student-led Penn State team for the 2009 Solar Decathlon, will be dedicated and commissioned Wednesday (May 26) by Bayer MaterialScience LLC as its new EcoCommercial Building Conference Center at the company's campus in Robinson Township, Pa. In its new capacity, this solar-powered, zero-emission building will serve as an energy modeling site, educational center and showcase for Bayer MaterialScience's EcoCommercial Building materials solutions. Read the full story to see videos of Natural Fusion under construction. (more)
Friday, November 06, 2009
In Motion revisits Penn State's Natural Fusion team as they completed work on their solar home and opened it to the public for tours. Prior to departing for the Solar Decathlon national competition in Washington, D.C., the Natural Fusion home was presented to the University community at an open house. Focusing on natural aesthetics, functional design characteristics and innovative, sustainable technology, the house showed visitors a close-up look at the potential for cost-effective, comfortable and environmentally responsible living. (more)
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Long cylinders wrapped in a thin dark blue film rest atop a newly constructed home in Central Pennsylvania. Beneath the cylinders is vegetation. The arrangement is not only the engine that powers the house, but may be evidence that the future of solar-powered homes has arrived. Penn State's Solar Decathlon team, which will compete Oct. 9-18 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. next month, installed these photovoltaic solar panels on Natural Fusion, the 800-square- foot house the team is constructing for the Department of Energy-sponsored competition among colleges and universities to create the best solar-powered home. The local community can tour the home from noon-6 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 25) at its current location at the southwest end of Innovation Boulevard in Innovation Park. In conjunction with the day of tours, actor and environmentalist Ed Begley, Jr. will speak at 8 p.m. in Dean's Hall of the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. (more)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Natural fusion is what powers the sun, so it's fitting that Penn State's 2009 Solar Decathlon team -- one of 20 nationwide that will compete in October on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for the top solar-powered house -- would dub its entry Natural Fusion. But for the Penn State team, the name is a concept aimed at building an energy-efficient home featuring the holistic integration of elements across all aspects from design to construction. "Natural Fusion was born out of the idea of building an integrated house and using things that have been used for years but in a new way," said Thomas Rauch, team member and media liaison. "Its redefining the engineering process and what is considered the cross-disciplinary educational process." (more)
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Seeking an integrated approach involving students and faculty from academic disciplines across the University, the 2009 Solar Decathlon team will hold its first informational meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 4) in the jury space of the Stuckeman Family Building on the University Park campus. The Solar Decathlon joins 20 college and university teams of faculty and students in a biannual competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy to design, build and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered house. The homes will be displayed on the National Mall during the competition next fall. (more)
