Ekó HouseBrazilian solar house design: 47 square meters powered by sunlightEkó House
Functioning exclusively on photovoltaic panels capable of converting sunlight into electricity, a 47 square meter residence was designed by Brazilian researchers for the Solar Decathlon – Europe 2012, an international competition that will bring together international teams on September 20 in Madrid, Spain. The Brazilian house consisting of a kitchen, living rooms, bathroom, bedroom and balcony is called Ekó House from the Tupi-Guarani language, where ekó means “a way of life.” Team Brazil brings together the students and teachers that were involved in this initiative, from various fields, such as architecture, urban planning, and civil, mechanical, electrical, sanitary and environmental engineering. A prototype of the house is being installed at the University of São Paulo (USP) Electrical Energy Institute, which manages the project together with the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). The development of the prototype began in 2010 and is part of an agreement between USP and Eletrobras and coordinated by Professor. Adnei Melges de Andrade, PhD. “This project aims to develop technologies that result in lower environmental impact,” says Andrade. At the Solar Decathlon, the proposals are evaluated in 10 categories that represent different areas, such as architecture, engineering, energy efficiency, comfort, communication, innovation and sustainability (more on this topic in issue 167 of Pesquisa FAPESP). The participating teams developed their respective home projects during the 20 months that preceded the competition. About 150 projects were produced, with details of the construction and systems used in the homes.
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