First Light house

Victoria University of Wellington, in New Zealand’s capital city, has been selected as one of 20 university teams to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 – the only entry, ever, from the southern hemisphere.

The First Light house is designed not only to operate as a sustainable, energy efficient and high performance building that minimises the environmental burdens and conserves resources but also focuses on recreation, socialisation, and outdoor living. However, the students realised that the operational environmental impact is only one part of the picture.

Although a Life Cycle Assessment is not one of the competition categories, the students were keen to use a LCA as part of their story around their house. PE INTERNATIONAL supported the students by undertaking a comprehensive analysis to quantify the environmental performance of the First Light house for construction, operation, maintenance and disposal. In addition to this we trained Victoria University students in the GaBi software and provided LCA seminars.

PE INTERNATIONAL wishes the First Light Team all the best for the completion of the project.

About the competition:
The US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon challenges 20 university teams, through a series of 10 contests, to demonstrate inventive clean-energy solutions by building solar-powered houses that feature cost-effective, energy-efficient construction and incorporate energy-saving appliances and renewable energy systems.

This year the Solar Decathlon will take place on the National Mall’s West Potomac Park, which is nestled amongst national landmarks and memorials, and is just a stone’s throw from the White House. The competition runs from September 23th to October 2nd.



more information: www.firstlighthouse.ac.nz