Hoboken Tech Students Design Award-Winning 'Armored' Eco Home

Superstorm Sandy wrought devastation for thousands of New Jerseyans, but it also inspired hope that the state’s infrastructure can be improved to mitigate the effects of future calamities.

And that’s where the SURE house comes in.

On Monday, the Hoboken-based Stevens Institute of Technology announced that a team of more than 30 of its students - inspired by Hurricane Sandy - won top honors at the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 at Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California.

The winning entry?

A cost-effective, net-zero, energy-efficient, solar-powered home that will hopefully serve as prototype for shore communities.

According to Stevens Institute, the project began after the aftermath and devastation of Superstorm Sandy, when a team of students from various disciplines set out to build a house that would serve as a prototype for coastal homeowners in search of a sustainable, attractive and more storm-resilient buildings.

The resulting design – the SURE house - is built to withstand a hurricane while also maintaining energy sustainability, a release stated.

Built with fiber-composite materials that were repurposed from the boat building industry, the home is designed to “waste as little energy expended on heating and cooling as possible,” a release stated.

The result is a building “armored against extreme weather with a minimal carbon footprint.”

Surrounding the home are bi-folding storm shutters, made with a composite foam core and wrapped with fiberglass, installed to shade the home throughout the year and act as the primary defensive barrier to block debris and water during inclement weather. The SURE house powers itself with clean solar power, and reportedly uses 90 percent less energy than its conventional cousins.

Plus, in the aftermath of a storm, the home can become a hub of emergency power for surrounding neighborhoods, its developers say.

• See related article: PSEG Gives $250,000 ‘Solar Home’ Grant To Stevens Institute In Hoboken

“On behalf of the City of Hoboken, I congratulate the students and faculty of the SURE House team on their tremendous accomplishment,” said Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “Flooding is a century-old challenge for Hoboken, and this project is further demonstration of Stevens’ commitment to our community.”

Photo courtesy of Energy.gov

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