Solar Decathlon 2017 D-8: Water Narrative

Abstract

In 2011, Team Maryland’s WaterShed won first place in part due to the inclusion of water use as a design focus. Since then Solar Decathlon teams have consistently integrated water use and reuse strategies into their designs. In Solar Decathlon 2017 smart water solutions has been recognized as its own contest for the first time. This new contest is important not only because water is a precious resource, but also because water and energy are inextricably linked—it takes water to make the energy we use, and it takes energy to treat and deliver the clean water we require. This conservation section of this report compares reACT’s expected use to that of a standard code-compliant house how water conservation strategies are integrated into its design elements, and how it encourages the homeowner to use less water. This report also covers the topics of reclamation and reuse and how react manages to achieve them, including how health and safety is considered. Lastly, reACT’s landscaping and irrigation design is explained and how it deals with climate, hardscaping, plant selection, and how it achieves energy and efficiency in water use.