High tech clapboards
5 of 10 from Photos: Solar homes take root at Solar Decathlon
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A closer look at the clapboards on Team Germany's solar house. The clapboards on the top are designed to open at night to let in cool air in a compartment under the roof. A material in the ceiling compartment goes from liquid to solid with the cool air. During the day, the cooling system draws on stored energy to make the cooling system more efficient.
The building has a lot of available solar power, but it's also designed to be very well insulated and tight. It conforms to the German Passive House standard for low-energy homes.
October 7, 2009 4:47 PM PDT
Photo by: Martin LaMonica
