BeauSoleil: Making the Cut

PVS/Inverters installed on test roof

Solar Decathlon Update: Every two years 20 university teams are chosen, based on proposals, to design an all-solar home and assemble it on the National Mall in Washington DC for public viewing and judging. Check back each Wednesday as the NAV Blog reports on the process of the design and construction of BeauSoleil, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's entry. For more info about the project, visit their website at http://www.beausoleilhome.org/. And check out short film about the project here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsuziBrNeO4

REPORT FROM THE FIELD:

The time is growing near to begin fabrication of the shell of the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home. The team is currently finalizing details in preparation of beginning programming of the CNC machine at LASBH (Louisiana System Built Homes). The cutting of panels is set to begin around the first of December. This is a serious matter because once the panels are cut there is no going back. The pressure is on but Team BeauSoleil is up to the challenge!!!

The process of SIPS construction begins with laying out the walls and the roof of the house in elevation looking from the inside. These elevations are cut into sections in a way that they will be most efficient. Expansion is taken into account the pieces are numbered and laid out in the proper orientation as per the loading of the panels onto 8’ x 24’ pieces. These sections are laid out on the 8’ x 24’ panels like a puzzle to minimize waste. These panels are plotted using CAD software. Once they are plotted they are ready to be converted into a format that can be recognized by the CNC machine. This software allows us to program the depth of the cuts as well as the order of the cuts. When this is complete the program is entered into the machine and the cutting can begin.

The cutting of the panels should only take a few days; meanwhile the floor structure and subfloor will be being assembled. Upon completion of this step the walls will begin being erected onto the base of the house this assembly should only take a couple of weeks and the shell should be at the BeauSoleil World Headquarters around the first of the year. Finally!!

The hard work of the Team is paying off and the fruits of our labor will soon be visible. Stay tuned for more details

Jeremy Credeur

Construction Manager

Team BeauSoleil

SIPS Construction on the BeauSoleil Home

Solar Decathlon Update: Every two years 20 university teams are chosen, based on proposals, to design an all-solar home and assemble it on the National Mall in Washington DC for public viewing and judging. Check back each Wednesday as the NAV Blog reports on the process of the design and construction of BeauSoleil, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's entry.

SIPS is an acronym for structural insulated panel system. This system of construction consists of a 5 ½” inch layer of expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) sandwiched between two sheets of 7/16” oriented strand board (OSB). This system is extremely efficient in that it is produced in a factory setting therefore, reducing the material waste generally associated with typical site built construction.

Another advantage of this system is the increased precision of the construction process to tolerances as close as 1/16”. This increased precision allows for a much tighter system in that air infiltration is practically eliminated. This along with the reduction of thermal breaks due to the lack of studs in the system (studs are replaced by the EPS foam) increase the R-value of the panels to R-32 for ceilings and R-26 in a wall application, compared to R-30 and R-13 respectively for typical stick frame construction. The improved insultative properties of the panels will result in a significant savings in the cost of heating and cooling, there by exceeding the approximately 10% increase of initial cost in the initial construction cost.

The BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home will feature SIPS as its primary structural component. The modularity of SIPS allows for the ease of mass production and the tolerances allow for the ease of onsite assembly. This along with a structural steel frame in the transitional porch will allow this home to easily make the trip to Washington D.C. and back while remaining structurally sound.

Team BeauSoleil is currently completing the design of the shell of the house in preparation to begin the fabrication of the shell. Team members are working with Louisiana System Built Homes (LASBH) in St. Martinville on the details of this task. Through this partnership graduate students will be fabricating the panels, planning the cuts, programming the machines and assisting with the actual assembly of the shell at the LASBH factory.

This is a great opportunity for students to gain hands on knowledge in this system. The actual cutting of SIPS panels by students will begin in the next couple of weeks with the completion of the shell expected in early January. At that point the shell of the home will be trucked to Lafayette and will reside in the Team BeauSoleil warehouse until the completion of construction. Then it’s on the road again to Washington D.C. for the competition that will begin on October 1, 2009.

Construction Begins on BeauSoleil Home

The BeauSoleil TEAM moved into their new digs - a United Way warehouse near campus - a couple of months ago, and the buzz is on. The TEAM is gathering materials and mapping out the construction process in anticipation of assembling their design over the next few months.

Louisiana System Built Homes, a BeauSoleil manufacturing partner, will begin fabricating the shell and roof structure for the Solar Home in the upcoming weeks. Students are currently working with LASBH to format the construction drawings, making them ready for CNC routing of the SIPS panels - the primary building material of the BeauSoleil home.

Stay tuned for more construction photos.