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Adjustable prototype green houses built in Denmark |
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18 Jul 2010, 7:04 PM
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Two eco-houses in Taastrup, Denmark have been built by the Danish Technological Institute in cooperation with Henning Larsen Architects to serve as a high-tech laboratory intended to guide the future of green building. EnergyFlex House features two 2,100 square foot structures packed with the latest in green design technology and materials. One structure serves as a laboratory to study and document green systems and materials, while the other houses a family full time.
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What makes the building unique, besides its status as the first Danish energy neutral single-family house, is its adaptability to changing conditions. Unlike a traditional model house, this building is not a final product, but a tool to advance the innovation of ideas and prototypes that can be brought to market. It’s a flexible platform that can be easily adapted and modified by adding or removing components to study various housing types. The facility opened in late 2009 and has already generated valuable information for research of new sustainable systems.
The Danish Technological Institute describes the prototype as “a playground for energy efficient technology” and it’s easy to see why. An online dashboard keeps tabs on all the energy used in the house live around the clock. The house monitors 790 data points including its solar heating and photovoltaic capacity along with its electricity use and water consumption. It even keeps tabs on whether the electric car in the garage is charged and it’s smart enough to project results into the future.
Researchers hope the project will lead to new building practices that will significantly reduce Europe’s carbon footprint in the coming years. Overall, the project’s goal is to generate optimal sustainable technologies while maintaining the cost-effectiveness necessary to bring new systems to market. The Danish Technological Institute has plans to add third structure to the complex in order to study design, indoor climate, and work life in office buildings.
Credits:: Brandon Klayko / Inhabitat
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