How can we design a home that is comfortable in all conditions without the use of electricity?
This was the driving question behind this project. We had many labs, tasks, and builds within this project, but it all came back to this driving question. How can we construct a building without electricity that is comfortable and efficient with heat? Sarah Teal, Leo BC, Isabella Bergmark and I set out to complete this monumental task.
This was by far our largest project to date, so I am going to set down an organized list of everything we did and when.
1. Atomic Structure, State, and Heat Notes
Here we learned about the basic structure of the atom, the different states of matter, and how heat works. We did this by studying and taking notes from both our Prentice Hall Conceptual Physics textbooks and A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson.
2. Solar Water Heater Lab
Our first build for this project was a Solar Water Heater. We built this to learn how conduction, convection, and radiation work. We had to build a water heater out of a shoebox that could heat water up as many degrees as possible in a half hour.
Our device worked very well, as it was able to absorb the second highest amount of heat in the class. It helped us learn how to calculate different types of measuring heat, and taught us a little bit about what materials were good conductors and what materials were good insulators.
3. Solar Angles and How it Changes Between Seasons Notes
This was a very important part of our final designing process. We read, took notes, and answered questions about how the sun moves the sky and how that path can change during the year.
This was the driving question behind this project. We had many labs, tasks, and builds within this project, but it all came back to this driving question. How can we construct a building without electricity that is comfortable and efficient with heat? Sarah Teal, Leo BC, Isabella Bergmark and I set out to complete this monumental task.
This was by far our largest project to date, so I am going to set down an organized list of everything we did and when.
1. Atomic Structure, State, and Heat Notes
Here we learned about the basic structure of the atom, the different states of matter, and how heat works. We did this by studying and taking notes from both our Prentice Hall Conceptual Physics textbooks and A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson.
2. Solar Water Heater Lab
Our first build for this project was a Solar Water Heater. We built this to learn how conduction, convection, and radiation work. We had to build a water heater out of a shoebox that could heat water up as many degrees as possible in a half hour.
Our device worked very well, as it was able to absorb the second highest amount of heat in the class. It helped us learn how to calculate different types of measuring heat, and taught us a little bit about what materials were good conductors and what materials were good insulators.
3. Solar Angles and How it Changes Between Seasons Notes
This was a very important part of our final designing process. We read, took notes, and answered questions about how the sun moves the sky and how that path can change during the year.
We had to learn about this so we could understand what angles were best for placing mirrors and windows at.
4. Daylighting Design Lab
In this build, we began by learning about what different kinds of daylighting techniques were available. We learned about clerestory windows, skylights, solar tubes, and light shelves, shown in that order below.
4. Daylighting Design Lab
In this build, we began by learning about what different kinds of daylighting techniques were available. We learned about clerestory windows, skylights, solar tubes, and light shelves, shown in that order below.
We were then tasked with using these daylighting techniques to create a model house. We used cardboard and masking tape to build a small version of a low energy consuming house. We tested how well this worked out in each individual room by turning out all the lights in the STEM room and holding a light bulb at different angles to the house, based on angles that the sun would be at at different times of day and different times of year. You can see our design after the experiment was completed below.
5. Site Selection Exploration
In this part of the project, we were tasked with choosing a site on San Marin campus to place our theoretical low energy consuming house. We chose several different spots around the school including behind the cafeteria and next to the auto shop. We created a formula based on what aspects of each site were most important to us, including, but not limited to: shading, privacy, sound dampening, light, average temperature, and convenience. We gave a ranking of how good each site was in each category, then we multiplied that rank in each category by its importance to us. For example, lighting was very important to us, so we multiplied the light rank by 1.5. However, privacy was not a huge issue for us, so we multiplied the privacy rank by .75. This task was designed to teach us how to turn our subjective preferences into objective decisions.
6. Materials Testing Lab
We were given this lab with very little instructions. We only knew that our class had to find our the properties of different materials that we might use for our final designs. Specifically, how our materials would interact with heat. So we began by making a table that included many different materials, including dirt, brick, several metals, plywood, rubber, differing colors of paint, glass, rigid foam, spray foam, and fiberglass.
We shined a hot light bulb next the item being tested for 20 minutes, measured its temperature every 5 minutes during the time we were heating it up. Then, we took another 20 minutes and monitored its heat every 5 minutes to measure how well it held its heat. You can see some of our results below.
In this part of the project, we were tasked with choosing a site on San Marin campus to place our theoretical low energy consuming house. We chose several different spots around the school including behind the cafeteria and next to the auto shop. We created a formula based on what aspects of each site were most important to us, including, but not limited to: shading, privacy, sound dampening, light, average temperature, and convenience. We gave a ranking of how good each site was in each category, then we multiplied that rank in each category by its importance to us. For example, lighting was very important to us, so we multiplied the light rank by 1.5. However, privacy was not a huge issue for us, so we multiplied the privacy rank by .75. This task was designed to teach us how to turn our subjective preferences into objective decisions.
6. Materials Testing Lab
We were given this lab with very little instructions. We only knew that our class had to find our the properties of different materials that we might use for our final designs. Specifically, how our materials would interact with heat. So we began by making a table that included many different materials, including dirt, brick, several metals, plywood, rubber, differing colors of paint, glass, rigid foam, spray foam, and fiberglass.
We shined a hot light bulb next the item being tested for 20 minutes, measured its temperature every 5 minutes during the time we were heating it up. Then, we took another 20 minutes and monitored its heat every 5 minutes to measure how well it held its heat. You can see some of our results below.
This lab allowed to to better understand what properties some materials had (In regards to heat, at least), and gave us inevitably a more efficient final product.
7. Justification Paper
In this task, our class created a group document to help us understand why we were doing all of this. The document outlined types of energy, energy consumption and waste, greenhouse gases, and climate change, to name a few things. It helped us understand why the issues of climate change and the energy crisis are so important.
You can find the group document here.
8. Final Building Design
After we had completed all of the prerequisites, we began working on the actual project. We were required to build two projects, and with one additional optional design. We had to design a Cold Frame to shield plants from cold and frost in the frigid winter months, and a way to get light into the North Window of the Solar Studio; possibly by using a Reflector. We also had the option of building an additional design. This additional design could be anything we wanted to do to the Solar Studio. Each of our designs would be checked and approved by a board of engineers and the STEM Marin Fund.
Our team decided to split up the work for each of the projects. Leo and I worked on the Cold Frame, Sarah did the North Window Reflector, and Isabella did the bonus project, which ended up being a chandelier.
Our Cold Frame features a unique partial brick base, a versatile hinged and angled glass roof to let the maximum radiation into the box, and a strong wood frame of 2x4s.
Our North Window Reflector Features a mighty concrete base, a carefully measured three-paneled mirror to reflect light at many different angles into the North Window, and a stable wood frame of 2x4s.
Our chandelier features many eye-catching shards of mirror to deflect light all around the Solar Studio, sturdy construction, and an inexpensive base.
You can see the Cold Frame slideshow here.
You can see the North Window Reflector slideshow here.
You can see the chandelier slideshow here.
Concepts
Radiation - Energy transmitted by rays, waves or particles. Radiation does not need a medium to transfer through, unlike the other two forms of heat transfer. Radiation was very important for our Cold Frame, as well as our North Window Reflector and the chandelier, through both light and heat.
Conduction - Transfer of heat through a solid. Conduction was not overly important in the final designs of our projects, but was essential in the design of our Solar Water Heater.
Convection - Transfer of heat through a fluid. Convection in the Cold Frame was very important, as heat was held in the air inside of it.
Temperature - The measure of the average energy of molecular motion in a substance. Different from heat, as it does not depend on the size or type of the object.
Heat - The measure of the total energy of molecular motion in a substance. Different from temperature, as it depends on the size and type of the object.
Conductivity - How good a material is at conducting heat. We used conductive materials in our Solar Water Heater to heat up the water quickly.
Insulation - How bad a material is at conducting heat. We used bricks in our Cold Frame because they are a good insulator. They would have kept in the heat within our Cold Frame.
Reflection
Our group had its issues, but overall we worked pretty well together. One of our Pits was lacking a whole lot of communication, especially since we were so isolated in the final design project. Leo and I worked on the Cold Frame, Sarah on the Reflector, and Isabella on the chandelier. We had a hard time cooperating since we literally barely talked to each other. Another one of our Pits was enthusiasm, strange as it may sound. This was an unusually long project, and I might even call it tedious. This, I believe, was evident in our final project. We didn't put all of our full effort into the Cold Frame and the Reflector. Our team, like many others, was tired of it by the time the final designing task came along, and we just kind of wanted to get the project over with.
However, we had many high points as well. One of our highest Peaks was our time management. We were able to work with very little time pressure. This is a major improvement over our previous projects, where time was always the biggest and most prevalent enemy. Another Peak was how good our final product was. The designs we created were (in my humble opinion) very well thought-out. Not as good a few of the other designs in the class, nor as good as they could have been, but very good nonetheless. All in all, this ended up being one of the better-executed projects we have done, and can honestly say my team and I did very well.
7. Justification Paper
In this task, our class created a group document to help us understand why we were doing all of this. The document outlined types of energy, energy consumption and waste, greenhouse gases, and climate change, to name a few things. It helped us understand why the issues of climate change and the energy crisis are so important.
You can find the group document here.
8. Final Building Design
After we had completed all of the prerequisites, we began working on the actual project. We were required to build two projects, and with one additional optional design. We had to design a Cold Frame to shield plants from cold and frost in the frigid winter months, and a way to get light into the North Window of the Solar Studio; possibly by using a Reflector. We also had the option of building an additional design. This additional design could be anything we wanted to do to the Solar Studio. Each of our designs would be checked and approved by a board of engineers and the STEM Marin Fund.
Our team decided to split up the work for each of the projects. Leo and I worked on the Cold Frame, Sarah did the North Window Reflector, and Isabella did the bonus project, which ended up being a chandelier.
Our Cold Frame features a unique partial brick base, a versatile hinged and angled glass roof to let the maximum radiation into the box, and a strong wood frame of 2x4s.
Our North Window Reflector Features a mighty concrete base, a carefully measured three-paneled mirror to reflect light at many different angles into the North Window, and a stable wood frame of 2x4s.
Our chandelier features many eye-catching shards of mirror to deflect light all around the Solar Studio, sturdy construction, and an inexpensive base.
You can see the Cold Frame slideshow here.
You can see the North Window Reflector slideshow here.
You can see the chandelier slideshow here.
Concepts
Radiation - Energy transmitted by rays, waves or particles. Radiation does not need a medium to transfer through, unlike the other two forms of heat transfer. Radiation was very important for our Cold Frame, as well as our North Window Reflector and the chandelier, through both light and heat.
Conduction - Transfer of heat through a solid. Conduction was not overly important in the final designs of our projects, but was essential in the design of our Solar Water Heater.
Convection - Transfer of heat through a fluid. Convection in the Cold Frame was very important, as heat was held in the air inside of it.
Temperature - The measure of the average energy of molecular motion in a substance. Different from heat, as it does not depend on the size or type of the object.
Heat - The measure of the total energy of molecular motion in a substance. Different from temperature, as it depends on the size and type of the object.
Conductivity - How good a material is at conducting heat. We used conductive materials in our Solar Water Heater to heat up the water quickly.
Insulation - How bad a material is at conducting heat. We used bricks in our Cold Frame because they are a good insulator. They would have kept in the heat within our Cold Frame.
Reflection
Our group had its issues, but overall we worked pretty well together. One of our Pits was lacking a whole lot of communication, especially since we were so isolated in the final design project. Leo and I worked on the Cold Frame, Sarah on the Reflector, and Isabella on the chandelier. We had a hard time cooperating since we literally barely talked to each other. Another one of our Pits was enthusiasm, strange as it may sound. This was an unusually long project, and I might even call it tedious. This, I believe, was evident in our final project. We didn't put all of our full effort into the Cold Frame and the Reflector. Our team, like many others, was tired of it by the time the final designing task came along, and we just kind of wanted to get the project over with.
However, we had many high points as well. One of our highest Peaks was our time management. We were able to work with very little time pressure. This is a major improvement over our previous projects, where time was always the biggest and most prevalent enemy. Another Peak was how good our final product was. The designs we created were (in my humble opinion) very well thought-out. Not as good a few of the other designs in the class, nor as good as they could have been, but very good nonetheless. All in all, this ended up being one of the better-executed projects we have done, and can honestly say my team and I did very well.