A house that aims to be energy neutral in Lander is nearing completion. It's part of a federal effort to build more energy efficient housing.
The house sits on top of a hill outside Lander to make sure it gets maximum sunlight. The floor has radiant heating and the roof has solar panels to hopefully help the house produce more energy than it uses. For those who are working on the project, it's the future.
The home is a part of the 2023 U.S. Department of Energy 20th annual Solar Decathlon Build Challenge. Engineering students at the University of Wyoming planned out the house as a learning tool to facilitate the next generation of energy efficiency. The program started in 2022.
Cory Toye is with Timshel Construction, a company that has completed many energy efficient homes with the University of Wyoming. He said he sees the demand for these types of homes growing in the coming years.
“It's a building style that is getting more attention, because a lot of the systems that net zero homes, or these passive homes depend on are becoming more available, like they're more affordable, and they're more reliable,” he said.
Anthony Denzer is with the Architectural Engineering Department at the University of Wyoming. He said technology for energy efficiency construction materials have come a long way.
“The general rule of thumb in the green building industry is if you invest 10, or 15 percent more in the first cost of the construction, you can achieve a zero energy house,” he said. “But that starts paying itself back immediately, right? Because you don't have an energy bill every month.”
The University of Wyoming team is competing against 23 other collegiate institutions in four countries.
The project is set to finish sometime in the spring of 2023 before the competition ends in April.
