Climate smart home with Honda
Honda is certainly most associated with the cars and motorcycles but they also develop housing solutions for a climate-neutral lifestyle. On the campus of California Davis there is an advanced newly built passive house where all the technology is integrated in the house and save everything from energy to water and carbon dioxide.
In northern California's warm desert climate, it is no trick to save on energy many might think here in our arctic climate. But different climates create different challenges and in California the water shortage continues to be an urgent issue. United States also have very tough environmental legislation and a 'Zero Net Energy' goal for 2020.
– We have an increased international exchange wiyhin industrial and sustainable construction, and we think it's especially fun to also let students take part of the experience and knowledge that practitioners from different parts of the world can share, says Sofia Lidelöw, lecturer at Luleå University of Technology.
During his trip in northern Sweden, Michael Koenig was very interested in learning more about the Swedish housing construction in wood and will among other things visit Lindbäcks Built house factory in Piteå. During his visit at the university got Michael to take part of the current research on, for example, energy-efficient wooden building in a cold climate where the university research around the northernmost passive house - "The Seventh House" in Kiruna - was demonstrated.
Passive house in Davis California is tailor-made for a research and brimming with sensors that tracks every electron and gallons of water flowing through the house. The concept includes a battery-powered car where the battery can also be used to cover the building's energy needs at the times of day when the vehicle is not being used or charged.
– Michael was very interested in our research on how the embodied energy in the house - the energy needed for example, the production of materials, transportation and construction of the house - can be estimated and controlled, says Sofia Lidelöw.
Michael Koenig, project manager at Honda Smart Homes US lectured on this house for students and researchers at Luleå University.
[http://www.hondasmarthome.com/]