Kiwi Bach in Solar Decathlon Competition

What is a Solar Decathlon, you may well ask?  It is a competition run by the US Department of Energy and university teams throughout the world are invited to design and build energy efficient houses powered exclusively by the sun. The Victoria University team from Wellington is the first ever finalist from the Southern Hemisphere.  The team designed and built the Meridian First Light house, a reinvention of the iconic Kiwi bach (pronounced batch) powered entirely by solar energy. The bach is a casual dwelling usually built at the beach and used for holidays and weekends mainly in the summer.  The house is currently sited in Frank Kitt’s Park on the Wellington Waterfront, and we joined the crowds for a guided tour.

The solar powered Kiwi Bach

We were led in groups through the house and all the various aspects were explained.  The competition is judged on ten points, architecture, market appeal, engineering, communications, affordability, comfort, hot water, appliances, home entertainment and energy balance.  Led  by students from Victoria University's School of Architecture, the team is made up of students right across the University.  The students were supervised by University staff, and industry partners have donated their time and expertise to the project.

  Our tour guide talking about the project in the front entrance

Sitting room with extra bunk bed or storage behind sliding doors

Master bedroom

Small kitchen area

The house has 28 solar panels that provides power to run the house throughout all the seasons.  An innovative drying cupboard was developed for the house, using energy from the solar heated water which is pumped through a heat exchanger, and a heat pump warms and cools the house as required.  The concrete slab floor stores heat during the day and releases it at night, and the house uses wool insulation in the walls.  Add triple glazing to the mix, and this timber house is as attractive as it is eco-friendly. We found it surprisingly warm on a cold afternoon even with all the doors and windows open for the tour.

   Oops, all the wiring is not quite finished yet

Teams from New Zealand, China, Belgium, Canada and USA have spent two years creating their solar powered houses for the competition.  New Zealand’s entry will be exhibited with the other finalists in West Potomac Park, Washington DC.  We certainly wish them luck.

Landscaping outside