Show how to build your home, taking into account basic aspects such as innovation, evergy efficiency and sustainable management… that is the objective of the "Plus-Energie-Haus" house which is currently in Munich. Following an initiative of the Federal Ministry for Traffic, Construction and Municipal Development and designed by the Technical University of Darmstadt, this house was created as an information tool geared to the general public and as a demonstration of the possibilities that now exist in terms of energy efficiency. Isover in particular provided the insulation solutions, opting especially for the Generation 032 products with their exceptional thermal performance. The house will be on tour-exhibitions around Germany.
Both the concept and the prototype of the TU Darmstadt Plus-Energie-Haus are a result of the Solar Decathlon 2007 international competition brought into being by the US Department of Energy. The Solar Decathlon challenged 20 college and university teams to compete in 10 contests and design, build, and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered home. TU Darmstadt was the only German university to qualify for this solar house decathlon – and it immediately won first prize. The bungalow is covered with solar panels and actually generates more power than would be required by someone living there. In fact, if you lived there you could theoretically sell the energy it generates and earn around €2,700 per year. The house was designed and built by students at the Technical University of Darmstadt. In 2007 it won the Solar Decathalon competition in the US. After the Solar Decathlon, the house will return to Germany to be used as a solar power plant, as part of the university's project of a Solar Campus (Solar Lichtwiese"), through which all buildings on campus will be equipped with building-integrated photovoltaics, feeding electricity into the German power grid.
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