Greentech Media

As competition veterans, the University of Maryland made an impact on the jury. The lines to view the house were astoundingly long.

A unique feature of the Maryland house was the liquid-desiccant wall. What appeared to be a waterfall inside the entertainment center was actually a de-humidifying system filled with liquid desiccants. The material is similar to the little sugarlike packets found in new pairs of shoes, but in liquid form. Through a series of fans, humid air is sucked into the wall and expelled as comfortable dry air. The conditions in the Chesapeake Bay area are very humid, and this feature was designed around that concept. "This wall is a very cool feature," said Evan Merkel, a structural-engineering student at UMD. "If you know Maryland, you know how humid it can get in the summers. Right now, this is a prototype and we don't know of anyone else doing it."

Maryland's truly innovative element was SHAC, the Smart House Adaptive Control System. The team's engineers built the system from the ground up. The Web-based system allows occupants to track and control all the systems running in the house. By having the system Web-based, a user can access it from anywhere they can get to the Internet. Also, as the system is used, it begins to learn the natural climate of the area and the user's preferences. The adaptive system helps to control energy usage.

Thirty-four Sanyo HIP-205BA3 panels, each generating 205 watts of electricity for a total of 6.9 kW, were installed on the roof.

A solar-thermal system by Apricus heated domestic hot water as well as radiant flooring. A back-up instant hot-water heater, Stiebel Eltron Tempra 20, was installed, because Maryland's peak amount of sun usable for hot water is lower than places such as California or Florida. This system uses energy generated from the PV panels on the roof when it is in use.

The team already has designed 1,600- and 2,000-square-foot versions of the "Leafhouse" to show its flexibility in expanding. The local American Institute of Architects chapter already has purchased the house to serve as its office.