Today was all about being as prepared as possible for the competition start.

Team Ontario / BC split into three main groups in order to accomplish several logistical tasks before construction at 11:00pm.  One group went to our warehouse near Dulles International Airport to insure that all of the eight Mackie trucks were optimally packed to expedite the assembly process.  A second group traveled to the north of Washington to become certified forklift operators in the United States.  The rest of the team maintained our office in the hotel, finishing up all necessary paperwork.

We then registered for the competition at the Department of Energy on Independence Avenue, attending the All Team Meeting and dinner that followed.  We had a chance to meet the other teams and hear words of encouragement - and helpful reminders - from the organizers of the US Department of Energy’s 2009 Solar Decathlon.

The National Mall, the morning before construction.

A representative from Perkins + Will discusses the importance of sustainable building (left). Jen Janzen and Ivan Lee (UW) read up on each team in the competition (right).

Team Ontario / BC has just completed the journey to Washington. The majority of the team arrived two days before the beginning of the competition to make all final local preparations before October 1^st.

The Yukons, Big Bear and Little Bear being packed outside of the University of Waterloo School of Architecture (left). Our first meeting in our home for the next month (right).

Dave Schellingerhoudt, Natalie Jackson and Brad Paddock (UW) discuss equipment rentals (left). Team Ontario / BC talk about final project details (right).

Eight! Team Ontario / BC has been hard at work this week packing up the North House for its maiden journey to the US Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon.

The packing strategy required sorting components for both dimensional optimization in the trucks and sequencing according to required order of assembly in Washington. This unique combination of timing and space provided an interesting challenge for all involved, culminating with the departure of the last truck on Monday morning.

Natalie Jackson (UW) and Jack Debski (MCM) discuss packing strategies (left). Steve Juranics from Navis Pack & Ship makes sure the kitchen components are packed and ready to go on the truck (right).

A Sterling crane was used to dis-assemble the floor and roof plates and the densepack and move the components to the trailers (left). The densepack being shrink-wrapped and tarped for transportation by Navis (right).

Packing the second last Mackie truck on Friday evening.

Jack Debski discusses strategy for construction on the National Mall – finish the house by October 7th!

Today, Team Ontario / BC had the opportunity to showcase the completed North House to a crowd of supporters, sponsors and well wishers at MCM in Toronto.

It was a fantastic Send-Off for the house and crew. We really appreciate the effort of everyone who has worked to make this project a success and were so happy that many of the individuals and companies who have supported the project were able to see the house in Toronto, before the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon commences in the next few weeks.

As soon as the festivities were completed, the packing began for the journey to Washington.

A crowd of supporters at MCM in Toronto are among the first to witness the completed North House.

The interior (left) and exterior (right) of the North House.

Maun Demchenko (UW) thanks everyone who has made this project a success.

Lauren Barhydt (UW) describes the experience of the North House project from a student perspective (left). Team Ontario / BC members Sonja Storey-Fleming, Ivan Lee, Chris Black, Lindsey Nette and Lauren Barhydt (UW) take a few moments to savor the completion of the project (right).

Since our last post, Team Ontario / BC has moved into high gear. The level of production is far beyond what can possibly occur with typical site-based construction. While our North House prototype for the Solar Decathlon is ultimately a one-off custom fabrication, the project anticipates mass-customized production. The facilities of our primary build partner MCM 2001, are now proving invaluable to the production stream. Finish construction activities are being compressed into a single week period, with great success.

The lighting, generously provided by Canlyte, has now been completely installed. The lighting for the main living space is achieved with LED fixtures. The fixtures we are using in North House have a remote phosphor diffusion lens that converts the naturally blue light of the LED to white light. This system is 20% more efficient than the standard practice of using a phosphor coating on individual LED bulbs.

Logistics and coordination specialists experienced the elation of a challenging coordination task well executed. The DuPont Corian, which clads both the kitchen and bathrooms walls, was scribed and installed this week, in preperation for the installation of our Bulthaup B1 Kitchen System, replete with Gaggenau appliances.

In addition to the completion of the kitchen, the installation of several other interior prominent interior components has been accomplished. A dedicated crew of students worked late into the night to install the continuous suspended ceiling system, which is mounted using a custom steel space frame system. As well, Chris Brandson of Vertech Solutions has returned to Team Ontario / BC’s build site for the final pre-installation testing and sequencing of the North House ALIS and CHAS interface systems.

Sonja Storey-Fleming (UW) completes the wiring of the main living space lighting (left). The lights in action, illuminating boxes containing pieces of the Bulthaup kitchen (right).

Allan Wilson, Chris Black and Matt Peddie (UW) install the first space frame mounting bracket for the ceiling (left). The installation of the Bulthaup kitchen (centre). Chris Brandson demonstrates the interior blind operation using the ALIS touch screen (right).

The completed ceiling, diffusing the lights installed above (left). The fully installed Bulthaup kitchen, featuring appliances provided by Gaggenau and the illuminated backsplash / ambient canvas constructed of translucent Corian (right).

The Team Ontario / BC exhibit design team, Dave Schellingerhoudt, Lindsey Nette, (UW) and Maks Matuszewski (MCM) have been working tirelessly for the past four weeks to create a sequence of informative signs as part of the exterior landscape environment of North House.

Today we finally got to see the results of their hard work, with the installation of three different types of signs. These signage types each describe different aspects of the North House, from the overall themes depicted on the entry ramp signs to the entire process of building North House represented on the signs along the west edge of the deck. The signs are made of steel and fastened to the cedar planters of the exterior landscape.

Dave examines the completed entry sign in MCM’s shop (left). Maks and Dave install the entry sign (centre). The completed signage along the south elevation (right).

The last of roof mounted photovoltaic panels were installed today!

These panels generously provided by Day4 Energy were one of the first donations for North House that we received. They account for approximately 74% of Team Ontario / BC’s electrical production. Constructed of single crystal silicon, they are typical of many panels offered on the market today. Each module is 180 W or about 4 W per cell.

The electrical current produced by the panels is converted from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) using two inverters from Xantrex. AC is used in most residential and business settings.

Team Ontario / BC teamwork! Assembling the Day4 PV panels for installation (left) and lifting one of the panels to the roof to be installed (right).

Robin (RED Electric) attaching a mounting bracket to one of the final Day4 PV panels (left). All of the Day4 panels are now in place and will be fully connected by midday tomorrow (right).

Two arrays of Viessmann evacuated tube solar thermal collectors fulfill the majority of the domestic hot water and space heating needs of Team Ontario / BC’s North House. The collected solar energy is delivered to the preheat tank, and from there distributed to the rest of the system as efficiently as possible.

Also now complete is the cooling pond, which will be located under the deck in Washington DC at the US Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon.  The cooling pond holds about 900 L of water and serves as a heat dump for our air-conditioning heat pump.  Dumping the heat to water allows us to transfer it much more effectively when compared to a traditional air-based system.

With these last two pieces in place, the solar thermal system was commissioned on Friday and has been running since.  All three tanks were up to temperature after a couple decently sunny days, without any use of the heat pumps or auxiliary electric backup - free energy!  We made a couple of hot water draws today to see how the system would respond with great success.

Humphrey Tse (RU) and Andrew Marston (UW) noting the adjustments that will need to be made for the racking system to accommodate the collectors and required plumbing (left). Lauren Barhydt and Sebastien Brideau (UW) inserting the solar thermal tubes (right).

The completed solar thermal collector array (left) and cooling pond (right).

The installation of the floors has just been completed at Team Ontario / BC’s North House. They feature a system of phase change materials provided by Cosella-Dorken and maple hardwood flooring from Muskoka Flooring.

Embedded under the hardwood flooring are panels of a salt-hydrate phase change material (PCM) that capture heat from the sunlight that hits the floor. This heat is stored during the day and released at night when the house’s internal temperature is cooler, regulating the interior temperature of the house preventing it from overheating and overcooling. The phase change materials works on the same principle as thermal mass, where massive materials such as concrete, stone and earth can store vast amounts of heat without increasing in temperature.

Unlike traditional forms of thermal mass, PCMs offer the same thermal storage at a much smaller volume. PCMs work on the principle of latent heat, that is when matter changes phase from a solid to liquid it absorbs energy from its environment, yet it does not change in temperature. Just like ice cubes melting in a cup, the ice remains at 0 C (32 F) as it melts, yet it continues to take heat from the cup thus keeping the cup cool. The in-floor PCMs work in the same way, only its melting point is at 24 C (76 F) instead of 0 C.

The installation is unique because this product is typically used in ceiling applications. This is one of the first times it will be used for a floor application, in combination with the hardwood flooring, creating a light and mobile passive solution for temperature regulation.

The Cosella-Dorken salt hydrate phase change materials installed on the first floor panel (left). An MCM employee installs the Muskoka Flooring around the custom floor boxes. The floor boxes will have a maple hardwood cap to match the rest of the floor (right).

Boxes of flooring on top of the PCM (left). The first floor panel with completed flooring (right).