Lights flash, relays click shut, fans whir to full speed, and the house comes to life on July 4th, 2012. The University of Tennessee’s solar-powered home has been here on the National Mall for over a week now, but today will be its biggest chance to shine yet. With well over a million people in the area to celebrate Independence Day, countless passers-by filter in and out of the house throughout the day. They may see the lights, feel the air conditioning, and watch the slide-show on the TV, but most of the day’s visitors know very little about the work going on behind the scenes.

Meanwhile, the lights keep flashing, the fans keep whirring, and the relays keep clicking. The seemingly miraculous show within the house starts on the roof. Cylindrically shaped solar panels feed power into the mechanical room, where it is distributed throughout the spacious living quarters. Water is heated, air is chilled, lights are lit, and even though all of our power comes from the sun, no one notices the difference. On closer observation, anyone can see that the display is far from a miracle: this is science.

While the Living Light House is one of the most advanced solar-powered homes in existence, the idea of a self-powered, sustainable home is nothing new. Mary from Montana told me about her home, which she built several years ago to be totally off the grid. Her home is built into a mountain, and using the natural temperature control provided by the earth, she uses no power for heating or cooling.

John from California also told me about his home. His solar-powered home was built in the mid 1980′s, and uses wind power to supplement his power needs. “It’s great to see how far the technology has come,” John told me, smiling.

It was amazing to see how knowledgeable many of the home’s visitors were, but maybe even more rewarding was seeing the groups of children come into the house with wide-eyed wonder. “Do you live in this house?” many asked us, followed quickly by “Can I live in this house?” Some caught on quickly, and asked surprisingly insightful questions, “Can you have all the lights on and run the air conditioner on? All with power from the sun?”

As the sun began to set, and the house was shut down, the crowds continued to swell. The fireworks on the National Mall attract millions of watchers from across the world. The Living Light House sat in the middle of it all, providing a stark reminder of how innovation continues to make America the greatest country in the world.

Written by Karl Hughes

View more of Karl’s writing, here.

Here we are, I cannot believe we are on the Washington National Mall again! This time our neighbors are the Washington Monument, the Capitol, and the many wonderful Smithsonian museums – the University of Tennessee’s Living Light House is in very good company! We have had tour days with upwards of 2,000 guests, and everyone is curious, excited, and simply amazed at the work the University has done. People enter the home and their faces automatically light up. Many visitors are stunned at how open and light the interior space is and are very impressed with the coolness, especially during this 100-degree weather.

As people tour the home, the looks on their faces show surprise and excitement. People are full of questions, comments and praise; amazed that students at the University could do such a project. Many of the guests are so impressed that they offer to buy the home, and are a bit disappointed when we tell them it is unfortunately not for sale

Talking with the guests not only allows me to share all of the knowledge I have gained throughout the project, but I have also have been learning from the guests as they talk about sustainability issues they face. With each unique climate and community, there are a multitude of challenges in the approaches to design, technology, and energy solutions. These comments make it very rewarding to be showing off all of the hard work that many others and I have done over the course of the project. There are so many wonderful exhibits on the Mall. It is inspiring to be present here to show all of our hard work alongside theirs.

Written by Lauren McCarty

The UT Living Light team has been in D.C. for a few days now, and they have been very busy. The house looks fantastic on the National Mall at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and is surrounded by all of our Nation’s most recognizable monuments and museums. I have managed to check out some of these sites over the last couple of days inlcuding the Natural History Museum, the National Art Gallery, and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. The fact that our house is making such a strong showing in such a tough environment both mechanically and architecturally is a testament to our home’s design. Also, we could not have asked for a better opportunity for UT to be showcased and seen by thousands of viewers. We have gotten a lot of support from our fellow universities and our own alumni; many of whom have come to visit the house. The support has been very nice, and we appreciate it greatly. The types of questions that I am running into paint a picture of a very informed and interested general population. It seems that many of the alternative energy technologies that used to be on the fringe have now moved into the main stream over the last couple of years. People are actively looking for better energy solutions, and are not just content to sit back and let the world go by. This has been a refreshing and inspiring revelation.

At this point one of the biggest things I have found intriguing about this excursion has been the collaboration of the different colleges at UT. As an engineering student I have not had a chance to work very much with other departments in my undergrad career. Working with architects has been a little different from working with engineers. Both the disciplines have a lot of common ground; however, the way the two groups look at things has a tendency to be very different. The things the two groups find important also are different. An engineer has the tendency to look at something and hold up the mechanical aspects as the priority. But, the surrounding design is considered nothing more than the shell you have to put it in. Most architects reverse this and would consider the mechanical parts a servant to the design. These differences I believe have been rather critical in a well-rounded group that is capable of handling a large variety of situations; as they say “it takes all types”. That will be the biggest thing I take away from this project and will try to utilize in the future.

Written by Steven Davis

Even if it’s quite dated,
Al Einstein once stated,
Light defies most notions of theory.

Both Particle and wave,
It’s thought to behave,
At a level considered quite eerie.

But never be frightened,
And never be wary,
Mr. Photon is small,
And certainly not scary:

“Hello Earthlings,
I come from the sun,
Where it’s hot and bright,
And in no way much fun.

I’m full of energy,
And leaving my home,
Headed towards Earth,
Not a second to roam.

This spot looks great,
I speed now through air,
Headlong towards DC,
Ample power to spare.

My target approaches,
Speed of light in my wake,
I veer off my course,
A colossal mistake.

Off the white roof,
I bounce and deflect,
Towards the cylinder,
Where I finally collect,

It’s here I find Kate,
My cousin Pete too,
Both shot from the sun,
Finding much work to do.

Through cables and wires,
As electrons we flow,
Becoming a current,
Through an inverter we go.

We’re herded towards motors,
That whistle and rumble,
Approaching them finally,
Into which we then tumble.

I power a house,
My friends pitch in too,
Always so gracious,
We did it all for you.

But here ends my story
Reflected and gone
Legacies of Living Light,
Forever, Mr. Photon.”

Written by Peter Duke

In 2008, a team of professors and students had the goal of developing new technologies for zero energy buildings in the state of Tennessee. The team sought to create a collaborative environment that could bring together UT’s strengths from various disciplines across campus. The research project eventually evolved into UT-Zero, a solar-powered prototype house built entirely by students to demonstrate innovation in energy efficiency, solar energy, building materials and building technology.

The groundbreaking prototype set the tone for the team’s next venture: the 2011 Solar Decathlon hosted by the Department of Energy. Building upon the proven success, smart systems, and new knowledge gained from the UT-Zero prototype, the team developed a new concept for a house called Living Light. The Living Light house, a 750sqft solar-powered home, was accepted to the Solar Decathlon in 2009 out of hundreds of applicants. Next, the team was challenged with constructing and transporting the pre-fabricated home to the competition site in Washington DC.

In DC, seeing the Living Light house come to life was a dream come true to the multidisciplinary team comprised of over 200 students, professors and research partners. The house achieved eighth in the world, achieving top rankings in energy efficiency, engineering and architecture. The house was a wild success, and continued to touch the lives of thousands of people on the Tennessee Tour. From September 2011 – June 2012, the house toured the state of Tennessee, so that the house could be used as a teaching tool to share the knowledge gained with the public.

Now, The Living Light house is back on the National Mall in Washington DC, and is once again representing the University of Tennessee as well as land grant universities across the nation in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. As a central exhibit in the Sustainable Solutions section of the festival, the house will continue to have influence on thousands of people, as millions of visitors are expected at the Festival. The Living Light house provides invaluable insight to the potentials of zero-energy, environmentally and culturally responsive design. Our goal is to bring knowledge to the public about our successes with innovation, collaboration, and belief in a brighter, sustainable future.