With the world spotlight focused on Vancouver, British Columbia for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Suntech Power Holdings Co. has utilized the attention to show off its ability to use solar panels to create ultra efficient "net-zero" homes.
The 2,200-square-foot "net-zero home" will utilize the company's Just Roof crystalline silicon photovoltaic solar roofing panels that will generate 6 kilowatts of energy, enough to equal the house's annual energy consumption.
The home will be used throughout the duration of the games to house Canadian Olympic athletes as part of the Home Field Advantage program.
"The world's focus is on the sportsmanship and excitement of the 2010 Winter Olympics with the incredible backdrop of the Vancouver environment, and as such, it is a great time for the clean energy community to show off the potential of sustainable, zero-energy living," said Steve Chan, Suntech's CEO. "This home is proof-positive that net-zero homes are accessible for today's homeowners and home builders."
RDC Homes, the Vancouver-based construction company that designed the energy-efficient home, predicted that the home could actually create a surplus of solar energy. Data will be collected from the house following the games to determine what adjustments can be made to improve the prospect of more net-zero homes showing up in the future.
