Villa Trieste Homes - University of Nevada, Las Vegas

[Pages:16]Center for Energy Research at UNLV

Villa Trieste Homes

Building Reduced-Energy Homes in the Southwest U.S. Desert

Center for Energy Research at UNLV

Reduced Peak Energy Homes (2008 to 2013)

UNLV's Center for Energy Research (CER) received a very large contract from the U.S. Department of Energy for a housing development in Las Vegas, Nevada, that can be used to study techniques of reducing peak electrical demand. UNLV's partners in developing these homes are NV Energy and Pulte Homes.

Known as the Villa Trieste community of homes, this development involves: o Significant energy conservation in 185 homes and o Photovoltaic units for solar energy on the roofs of these homes. o A system that allows the homeowner to select the degree of energy savings

desired while working in harmony with the utility's need for peak load control. o Application of peak-shifting storage batteries. The goal is to decrease the peak electrical demand by 65% over code-minimum building designs of the same size.

These houses have garnered the prestigious LEED Platinum classification.

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Design Details

Center for Energy Research at UNLV

General Information Floor areas of these single-family, two-story houses range from 1487 to 1960 square feet.

The buildings are extremely energy-conserving, with a HERS rating of 52-55 without the PV system considered, and a HERS rating of 36-39 including the PV system impact.

Standard features o A tankless water heater o A dashboard that gives the resident energy

consumption/generation information o R-7 exterior doors o 92 AFUE furnace o 100% CFL lighting o 2x4 and 2x6 construction, with 1 inch of

EPS and blow-in cellulose (R-13 and R-19 depending upon the stud size) o Windows with a 0.34 U factor and a 0.32 SHGC o A 15-SEER air conditioner o Unvented (semi-conditioned space) attic

Roma model, 1487 sqft (Source: Pulte Homes)

Design Details

Center for Energy Research at UNLV

Solar Energy

Each home has photovoltaic (PV) tiles incorporated in an integrated fashion on its roof. This decreases the HERS rating for the Roma model, for example, from 55 to 39.

Because of the nature of the development plan for Villa Trieste, all of the houses will have a PV system with a nearly south exposure, nearly west exposure, or nearly east exposure.

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Design Details

Center for Energy Research at UNLV

Energy conservation features

? Above, the conditioned attic, which allows the HVAC ducts to be in the same temperature as the interior of the house.

? At right, the difference between batt insulation, used in traditional houses, and blown-in insulation, used in Villa Trieste. Both sides of the stud have the same piping and electrical installations.

Design Details

Center for Energy Research at UNLV

The size of these arrays ? manufactured by Sun Power Corporation ? is rated at 1.764 kW peak output.

They are connected to the NV Energy grid in a net metering arrangement. Each kWh sent to the utility is treated as the same economic value as each kWh used from the utility.

Design Details

Center for Energy Research at UNLV

UNLV's Intelligent Server provides instantaneous Information on the cost of power from NV Energy to the homeowners. In this way, the homeowners can adjust energy settings on their thermostats and other controls during peak demand hours in order to save energy and money.

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Design Details

Center for Energy Research at UNLV

Communication System, Intelligent Agent, and Load Control

An intelligent agent is being developed that is equivalent to a dial that the customer can set to any choice from `No modification of energy loads' to `Full modification of energy loads.'

For a `Full modification of energy loads' setting, an arrangement will be developed in advance between the utility and customer, where each event of load shedding that the utility is allowed would have some type of reimbursement associated with it. Included in the events might be:

o Control of the home thermostat for predefined periods

o The ability to turn off pool pumps, when present

o Controlling plug loads

Each of these elements would save both the utility and customer money.

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