solar components

Solar Components of Wisconsin Trend Home™ Being Installed.

The Wisconsin Builders Foundation and the Metropolitan Builders Association are proud to report that the roof is complete on the Wisconsin Trend Home™ and the rough-in for plumbing, HVAC, and the fireplace is taking place, along with the installation of the solar power components. All of this work is being done under the supervision of the general contractor, Tim O’Brien Homes.

The solar power components include both electric panels, as well as solar hot water. For the photovoltaic system, which creates electricity from the panels, solar photovoltaic arrays are used to convert light from the sun directly into electricity, which is used in the home. The arrays will be mounted on the roof line of the home, which faces nearly due south. This orientation will help maximize the energy created through the use of the arrays.

In the case of the solar hot water, water is primarily heated by a passive solar thermal hot water system that operates with two flat panels mounted on the roof. This system connects to a large solar thermal storage tank that is also a high-efficiency, natural gas back up in the basement that transfers heat to the incoming cold-water line just before entering the hot water tank. This system is a closed-loop drain back that utilizes a special water solution to protect from freezing. This system will be monitored by an Eagle II controller. On a daily basis, approximately 100 gallons of hot water will be heated through this system.

The Wisconsin Trend Home™ was designed to show that technologies that will be typical in homes in the year 2020 can and should be utilized today. It is the WBA Foundation and the MBA’s belief that the Wisconsin Trend Home™ has the potential to make a large educational impact on the citizens of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin homebuilding industry. Now that the critical components are being installed, we look forward to revealing the additional technologies that we’ve captured in this energy efficient and resource friendly home. Watch for updates on the Wisconsin Trend Home™ on WITrendHome.com.

We would like to extend our gratitude to the donors who will be offering their products and services at this point in construction:

Tim O’Brien Homes
General Contractor

J. Anthony Construction, Inc.
Roof Framing Installation

Robert W. Nelson
Roof Framing Installation

Stock Building Supply
Roof Framing Materials

Mad City Roofing
Roofing Installation

Weather-Tek Design Center
Roof Material Donation

Gulf Eagle Supply/Weather-Tek Building Products
Roof Material Donation

Danny K. Construction
Exterior Painting

Sherwin Williams
Exterior Paint Donation

Dave Jones Plumbing & Heating
HVAC Rough-in Plumbing Rough-in

York Midwest, a Johnson Controls Company
HVAC Supplier

Ferguson Enterprises
Plumbing Material Supplier

WE Energies
Solar Panel Donation

Arch Electric, LLC
Solar Panel Installation

Plumbers Local 75
Solar Hot Water Installation

Castleman & Sons Plumbing, Inc.
Solar Hot Water Installation

Sol Power
Solar Site Assessment

A complete list of donors can be found at WITrendHome.com.