The Solar Powered Prefab Home Is Built From Shipping Containers - West Virginia University
and University of Roma Tor Vergata partnered to designed and build STILE—Sustainable
Technologies Integrated in a Learning Experience—for this year’s entry to the U.S. Department
of Energy’s Solar Decathlon. The house combines Appalachian and Roman design elements into
an unusual volume that boasts a rigid rectangular frame and a curved arch. The rectangular prefab
frame, which houses the living quarters, is made from deconstructed steel shipping containers
located on jacks, while the arch supports a solar array and provides shade for the outdoor
patio. The affordable and environmentally friendly
STILE home comprises a single master bedroom, a bathroom, mechanical room, and a large south-facing
open-plan living room, kitchen, and dining room that takes up half the building footprint
and opens out to the outer deck through sliding glass doors.
The home’s low energy footprint is achieved with the solar chimney that uses changes in
air temperature and density to passively cool the house; careful window placement that takes
advantage of passive solar; the PV array of 36 285-watt panels that power all of STILE’s
electricity needs; and LED lighting. A fully integrated automation and monitoring system
shows residents real-time energy use information and teaches them how to improve their energy
savings over time.