Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015

The goal of the Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon 2015 project is to design, build, and operate a zero-net energy solar-photovoltaic (solar-PV) powered residence. It is an international competition taking place in the fall of 2015 in Irvine, California. The design needs to be attractive, energy-efficient, innovative, and affordable. The Cal Poly team includes students from a variety of majors, including Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and many more. The different disciplines need to work together to create a functional and cohesive design. For our senior project, we have designed the electrical systems in the home, including the power, lighting, solar-PV systems, and energy monitoring. The design flow has four stages, Schematic Design (SD), Design Documents (DD), Construction Documents (CD), and Construction Administration (CA). Models were created using the AutoDesk software Revit, which is a building information modeling program with real-time 3D rendering. Our electrical design must comply with state and national building codes, such as the California Electrical Code (CEC) and National Electrical Code (NEC)