UIUC students build solar home in Rantoul for U.S. Dept. of Energy's Decathlon competition

RANTOUL, Ill. (WAND) — A student organization at the University of Illinois built a solar home for the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon competition.

The Illinois Solar Decathlon is competing with more than a dozen national and international collegiate teams to design and build the most sustainable, cutting-edge house powered by renewables.

Halie Colins, a senior at the U of I, said over the past two years the student group has designed and built the RENU House (renewable, economical, nourishing, and universal) in Rantoul.

"I think it's significant to have a home that pushes the boundaries of what sustainable living can look like, especially in Rantoul."

The project is a part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon. More than a dozen finalist teams, including UIUC, each earned $50,000 in prize funding from the DOE to build and exhibit their ground-breaking, zero-energy buildings in a local community before competing for the grand prize.

"This house was an opportunity for us to just see the range that sustainable homes bring to the industry," said Niha Ladiwala, a graduate student in the Department of Architecture.

The U of I team broke ground in December 2022 in Rantoul. Not only did the students design and construct the home, but also they had to secure funding for the project.

"I had sleepless nights of like 'are we going to make it there,'" said Senior Henil Patel.

The RENU house was designed to be a family residence and can accommodate a diverse range of family dynamics. The goal of the home is to supply a net zero home, meaning the solar panels installed will be able to compensate for the energy used by the house.

Any access energy not consumed will either be stored in a backup battery or lent to the grid through the utility's net metering program.

"It's been really rewarding to see the whole house come together," said Christine Chung, senior. "I get out at every install, like the service panels have been installed and I was geeking out on how it all works."

Since the project is student-led and run, the group shared with WAND News that they felt they were at a disadvantage. However, after making a few phone calls they said they couldn't have done it without the community support and sponsors.

"Coordination was a really valuable lesson," shared Niha "There was room to learn and grow and it's ok if you don't know something, you can use this project as a way to figure out there are a lot of resources available."

Despite the increased technology of the house, the students said their design holds the future in mind as feasibly replicating it within the community and spreading their sustainable mission.

"There are so much carbon emissions that come from energy used for homes and I think if we can elevate a lot of energy demands from the grid by photovoltaic systems on a home, I think we can solve a lot of the issues that we see today such as blackouts, brownouts as well as lower the carbon emissions," said Collins, a civil and environmental engineering student.

Once the home is complete, students will present it to the DOE Decathlon competition.

After the competition, the students said the house will be donated to Habitat for Humanity of Champaign County.

"I think it's cool for students to contribute to sustainability, while also giving back to the local community," said Luke Somerville, a graduate student at the U of I.

The students said they are waiting on the solar panels and electrical system.

Community members can view the house on April 15-16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The location is 1318 Rockland Dr., Rantoul. To sign up for a viewing time, click here.

Copyright 2023. WAND TV. All rights reserved.