The Clemson University Solar Decathlon team is collaborating on the design, construction, and promotion of a three-bedroom, 1000 sq.ft., low environmental impact, net-zero energy, solar house that is cost-efficient in today’s market and comfortable in South Carolina and comparable climate zones. Our concept focuses on stitching together innovative building methods, southern charm and local products in a home for a southern family.

Your support of Indigo Pine extends beyond the house as our innovative design approach raises the bar for sustainable architectural and engineering design standards.

1. SOUTHERN ROOTSThe name “Indigo Pine” originates from the home’s southern roots. Indigo was historically grown in our state while yellow pine remains a vital cash crop to South Carolina’s economy. We further evoke our southern heritage in the design of our big front porch, the staple of every truly southern home. It’s a great place to escape the heat, relax in the shade, and drink a tall glass of sweet tea.

2. INNOVATIVE S im[PLY] SYSTEMUsing a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine allows us to transmit our digital drawings to a router that cuts our components out of plywood. These pieces interlock to create a highly intelligent structure using only wood joints and steel zip ties. What’s more, the assembly requires only hand-powered tools to put the system together, eliminating the need for large unsafe machinery.

3. LOCALLY SOURCED MATERIALSWhat’s amazing about the Sim[PLY] system is the ability to “email” our house digitally from coast to coast rather than shippingit across the country. This reduces the production of carbon dioxide emissions from the project. While the system stays the same, our materials will reflect the resources of the area, further reducing transportation emissions.

4. INDIGO PINE EAST + WESTThe Solar Decathlon, a competition sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Energy, takes place in October 2015 in Irvine, California. Not only will Clemson be constructing our home in California, but we will also build an iteration of the home in the South Carolina Botanical Gardens located in Clemson, SC this spring, allowing for testing of the home’s functionality and showcasing the ability of the home to be built anywhere .

5. ZER0 NET ENERGYNot only will we save energy without shipping, but our construction process runs completely off-the-grid, purely using solar power. Using Indigo Pine Unplugged, a portable structure complete with solar panels, storage shelves, and a shade structure, we are able to charge our batteries, store our supplies, and have a covered gathering space for our team and visitors to Indigo Pine.

W H Y I N D I G O P I N E ?

COMPETITIONFOOD

$1,500/student

STUDENT HOUSING

$3,000/student

DOORor

WINDOW

$5,000/door or window

PV PANELS

up to $1,000

CNC MILLING

$10,000

CABINET

$1,000

DEDICATEDPORCH

$50,000

DEDICATEDROOM

$100,000/room

LEVELS OF SPONSORSHIPDonations of all sizes help us accomplish our goal.

INDIGO PINE FLOOR PLAN

MASTER

BEDROOM1

BEDROOM2

KITCHEN

DININGLIVING

BATH

T H A N K Y O U T O O U R C U R R E N T I N D I G O P I N E S P O N S O R S

Asheley ScottMs. Dana Anderson and Dr. Joe CulinAaron and Claire BowmanSteven RodgersLarry and Tenneil James

Bill and Laura PelhamRobbie and Diane FaireyChair Kate SchwennsenGarvin Design GroupRichard and Elizabeth del Monte

Dean Rick and Cissie GoodsteinProf. Gregory W. Shelnutt and Dr. Ellen F. GardinerRobert and Jean MorganWayne and Jill Rogers

106 STUDENTS + FACULTY

64 SOLAR PANELS

2 HOUSES

1 TEAM CLEMSON

ENERGY

INDIGO PINE

1,923 STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS

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w.indigopine.com

CHARLESTONSTRUCTURALMOCK-UP

CALIFORNIADOE MEETING

JANUARY 2015

CAF PRESENTATION+

STUDIO MOCK-UP

The Indigo Pine Home (IPH) program functions as a catalyst for applied research opportunities at Clemson University in an effort to reduce the energy use in the construction process of family residences. Historically, the residential construction process contributes to the carbon emission and energy problems our communities face. The emissions from residential construction come from the assembly of the building as well as the fabrication of parts and transportation of materials are large contributors. This typical construction process also disregards energy waste. Houses typically have been built in a less efficient manner and cost a home owner more to operate, possibly preventing them from being able to keep their living conditions constant. The IPH program originated to target these challenges to create solutions for our community and generate an innovative framing system to influence the residential construction industry. A task of this size could not be handled by one type of group and for that the IPH program includes students from many different perspectives across the Clemson University campus. The IPH program is managed by Professor Dan Harding, who is also Director of the Community Research and Design Center at Clemson University, and Professor Ulrike Heine. Both professors, who collaborate with all disciplines across campus, are in the School of Architecture at Clemson University. Professor Harding and Professor Heine are managing all aspects of this program. The Community Research and Design Center coordinates public service projects within the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities from an interdisciplinary perspective and provides assistance to local communities, provides a mechanism to conduct research, and serves as an applied research laboratory for Clemson students.

We are changing the future of residential construction methods through collaborative projects across Clemson University.

WHY DID WE START?

The IPH program encompasses all 5 colleges on Clemson University’s campus to provide an interdisciplinary view on the challenges of developing a new building technique for energy-efficient homes in South Carolina and the United States. The program is spearheaded by the College of Architecture as a large platform for the work to be showcased is at the 2015 Solar Decathlon competition. The IPH program currently uses the competition time-line and submission

Indigo Pine Unplugged will be solar power charging station to be used during the construction of the two homes. The Indigo Pine Unplugged station will be able to be quickly assembled for demonstration purposes and transported via a standard trailer. The intention of Indigo Pine Unplugged is to serve beyond the construction of the IPH construction sites, while monitoring the energy consumption. The hope is to use

WHO IS INVOLVED?

INDIGO PINE UNPLUGGED?

HOW DID WE APPROACH THE CHALLENGE?In the initial stages of IPH’s creation, the emphasis has been on the educational experience to develop the community of the southeast. The students and faculty have developed an innovative “SimPly” system under design in the IPH program, which has the potential to change the construction industry especially in affordable housing markets. With technical school and community college programs found through the region, this new system can create new economic opportunities for graduates in construction utilizing cost-effective processes and readily available resources in the state. The new SimPly system allows for the components of a home to be cut with a CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) milling machine and put together like a three dimensional puzzle. The reduction of waste for an environmentally conscious solution also addresses the economics of the project. The new system calls for a stringent logistical and construction process analysis that extends beyond typical prototyping and simulation, it must be done full-scale and in real-time. The IPH team will construct one house at the South Carolina Botanical Gardens for this purpose. The economics of producing two homes, one as a learning tool and the other as a competition piece, will be a true test of the market viability of the system. This allows for the transfer of materials to be lessened as sheet can be optimized to reduce waste. The act of emailing the cut files allows for the project to travel the long distances it needs to participate in the Solar Decathlon in Irvine, CA without increasing the carbon footprint of the project. Once the pieces arrive on site, only hand tools will be used during construction. With this technique, safety on the job site will increase as the energy consumption during construction will decrease, thus leading to a more socially and environmentally friendly process. The SimPly system will not be the only research aspect of the IPH program, but an evolving component in the group’s search for sustainable living solutions in the southeast. The program will use the SimPly system for the structural and interior design of the Clemson University Solar Decathlon home as well as the inspiration for a supporting project, the Indigo Pine Unplugged.

requirements as a progress check for the evolving research process.

By virtue of building the first home in South Carolina, we will observe and record strengths, weaknesses and opportunities that lie within the new SimPly construction system. Through this applied research, construction data will be applied to establish a critical path of

WHAT ARE THE MEASURING FACTORS?

HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?

construction, increasing the efficiency of the process. A component of this research will be to generate a new series of metrics that will measure time, labor, material, and other economics factors associated to the residential construction process. By establishing new metrics, our team will apply the acquired data generated through this process to critically examine the environmental, economic, and social impact of our new residential construction process.

The participation in the Solar Decathlon ensures qualitative and quantitative measurement through competition grading. Quantitatively, the project will undergo measurement testing regarding the function of the house. These tests include energy consumption during specified household tasks such as boiling water, running loads of laundry, and maintaining low energy consumption during daily use of energy throughout the competition. The project will be juried on qualitative aspects of the project as well and receive a standardized grade with rubric for later reference. Outside of the judging done through the competition, the project located in the South Carolina Botanical Gardens will be judged by the functionality and response by the community and its users. With feedback from the users, the market value of the project and the social implications it holds can be better determined for future development.

The Indigo Pine team has the energy and the drive, but we continue to seek financial and in-kind supporters. If you are interested in knowing more about our work and current supporters, we love to share our story. Our website clemson.edu/indigopine has information about the ongoing efforts of our team as we continue to research how we can push the boundaries of sustainable design in residential construction. We also have pages with the following forms of social media, so like, share, and follow us. Any support is appreciated.

the product to educate people, including potential industry users, so our community can grow towards healthier building standards with an increase in living conditions both physically and economically.

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