Reviewed by: Sharron Swain
UAB Solar House is hosting free tours all day long, Oct. 7—everything you need to know
Reading time: 4 minutes
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The UAB Solar House and Sustainable Neighborhood is a project that aims to promote sustainable living in all aspects, including a house powered by solar energy, with a fully-remote microgrid. On Saturday, October 7, you’re invited to tour the house for yourself—they’ll have music, a vintage market, food and more.
Tour UAB’s solar house on October 7
If you’re interested in reducing your carbon footprint or even just learning ways to live more lightly, the Solar House is something you need to see.
- When: Saturday, October 7 | 10AM-3PM
- Where: 1637 11th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294
- What to expect:
- Free tours all day
- A vintage market
- Nonprofit booths
- Hero Doughnuts
- Face painting with Artplay
- Wild Honey Flower Truck
- UAB Jazz Combo
- Schedule a tour: Can’t make the event? Schedule a tour any time.
5 things to know about the Solar House + Sustainable Neighborhood:
1. The 100% solar-powered house was designed by UAB students
The house, powered by a 12-kilowatt solar array, was designed by students, faculty and community partners of UAB for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon Competition.
Now, the house is part of a UAB Sustainability neighborhood project that demonstrates how anyone can easily incorporate sustainability into their daily lives.
2. The house is efficient and self-sufficient
The 1,000 square-foot UAB Solar House is “islanded.” This means it isn’t tied to the city’s electrical grid, but is on its own microgrid. Because it’s in Alabama, it also features a storm shelter for weather resilience.
The Solar House is incredibly energy efficient, largely because it’s designed in a way that helps drastically reduce its energy consumption.
“The cheapest and greenest energy is the energy we don’t use.”
Bambi Ingram, UAB Sustainability Manager
One unique feature of the house is mirroring windows. One faces east while the other faces west, so when both windows are opened, cross-breezes provide natural ventilation and reduce indoor temperatures. On a scorching August morning, the inside temp was 68 degrees with the windows open.
3. It’s a zero-waste space
Both the house and community are zero-waste spaces, meaning they don’t use single-use plastics and they recycle and compost everything they can. Since the Solar House serves as an educational resource for the community, these practices showcase what is possible.
4. The sustainable neighborhood is FULL of nature
The community supports biodiversity through native plants, a Monarch Way Station, beehives and native fruit trees.
Fun fact—UAB’s Monarch Waystation features milkweed that is native to Alabama. When Monarchs pass through Alabama in the fall and spring, they rely on this native milkweed plant to house their eggs and feed their caterpillars when they hatch.
5. There’s a 2,500-gallon rainwater irrigation system
Treating, heating and transporting water requires a significant amount of energy. Using untreated and locally-sourced water not only saves money, but also reduces Birmingham’s overall energy consumption. At the UAB Solar House, rainwater that runs off the roof is stored in a 2,500 gallon cistern to provide water for the sustainable community’s extensive gardens.
Want to see UAB’s Solar House + sustainable community? Don’t miss this free event on Saturday, October 7.
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