2011-09-30 10:40:57 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
For more than a year now Victoria University’s First Light team, competing in the prestigious US department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition — the first team from the Southern Hemisphere to do so — has been keeping us up to date on their progress with their regular blogs. But now years of hard work is being put to the test with the 10 contests that make up the competition in full swing. So far, the results have bode well for the First Light team, taking out first place in engineering contest and second spot in the archietcure category.
2011-09-13 16:56:54 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
Shipping a flat-packed house to the US and constructing it in mere days is a challenge in and of itself. But when the First Light team recently touched down in the U.S to compete in the prestigious US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011, it hadn't counted on the challenge posed by hurricanes and earthquakes.
2011-09-01 10:04:06 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
It’s been a lengthy and thorough process for the First Light team, and as they explain in their latest blog, it’s time for all their efforts to pay off with the first representatives from the team hitting Washington, D.C. for the prestigious US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011. They’ve also secured an impressive new sponsor and have unveiled four new videos to give you an insight into the workings of the house.
2011-08-16 16:55:51 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
In their latest blog, the First Light team delve into some of the more bespoke pieces of furniture inside the house, crafted by some top-notch Kiwi designers.
2011-08-02 10:31:19 // Sustain Team
// The Idealog Blog
Nelson-based all-in-one solar power company SolarCity has set a pretty ambitious goal - to make New Zealand 100 percent solar by 2020. It’s already started to make inroads, partnering with the Nelson City Council as part of the nation-wide The Solar Promise campaign, and now it’s announced another partnership, this time with power company Meridian Energy.
2011-07-19 09:00:00
// The Idealog Blog
The First Light house may be firmly en-route to the US, but the fate of the house upon its return from the US had always been a little unclear. Until now. In their latest blog the First Light team explains what happened when the house went up for auction recently in Wellington. And when you’ve put so much energy and love into a project, saying goodbye is one tough thing to do.
2011-07-04 10:34:18 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
Somewhere out there, making it’s way slowly but surely, are bits and pieces of a house that, when reassembled in the US, could earn its creators some pretty prestigious notoriety. In their latest blog, the First Light team detail the process involved in getting all the pieces of their house safely across to the US to participate in the US Department of Energy’s 2011 Solar Decathlon competition—not the easiest of feats when the NZ Building Code compliant house also has to meet US Building codes standards, just to gain entry into the US.
2011-07-04 09:21:55 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
Somewhere out there, making it’s way slowly but surely, are bits and pieces of a house that, when reassembled in the US, could earn its creators some pretty prestigious notoriety. In their latest blog, the First Light team detail the process involved in getting all the pieces of their house safely across to the US to participate in the US Department of Energy’s 2011 Solar Decathlon competition—not the easiest of feats when the NZ Building Code compliant house also has to meet US Building codes standards, just to gain entry into the US.
2011-06-17 16:03:38 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
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Since the First Light team’s last blog for us, the house in Wellington’s Frank Kitts Park has been in the process of gradually being disassembled and packed up in preparation for its long journey to the US. But with rain making things a little dirty and numerous house parts to carefully label and organise, disassembling hasn’t been without its challenges.
2011-06-03 11:44:39 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
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20,000 people. That’s how many curious faces passed through the Meridian First Light house in just 18 days when it recently made its public debut in Wellington’s Frank Kitts Park. In their latest blog, the team sum up the public reaction and discuss the numerous tests being conducted on the house as it gets set to be shipped to the US at the end of the month.
2011-05-20 11:24:39 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
It's been an incredibly busy time for the Victoria team as they continue on with their Meridian First Light house. In their latest blog the team detail the construction process as they set about building their house in just two days, ready for public consumption at Wellington's Frank Kitts Park.
2011-04-26 16:46:32 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
The Meridian First Light house has undergone a major transformation since the last update. For a start, it has undergone a name change to acknowledge our new principle sponsor Meridian. It has also come a long way in the construction process and will be moved from the shed out in Lyall Bay and assembled on Wellington’s Frank Kitts Park this week.
2011-04-01 10:14:35 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
With the skeletal frame of the First Light house complete, in their latest blog the team start to delve into the more technological side of things. There’s also a couple of very cool timelapse videos to give you more of a visual taster of the progress taking place.
2011-03-18 09:55:07 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
| 1 comment
The First Light house is well and truly starting to take shape with the team describing the initial stages of construction in their latest blog. There’s also an awesome time lapse video that brings the process to life.
2011-03-04 14:58:34 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
Why use wool when building? Well, it's a renewable resource, it’s healthy, low in conductivity, non-allergic, fire resistant, environmentally friendly, safe to handle, absorbs gases and fumes, and is low in embodied energy. And that's just for starters. In their latest blog, the First Light team explain why they think wool is pretty much the best ever insulation to use when building a house.
2011-02-18 10:37:26 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
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Small things can be quite complex. Like, for example, getting a delicate miniature model of an architecture project safely to the US for display. The First Light team explain.
2011-02-07 10:44:27 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
First Light, the Victoria University team of students competing in this year’s US Solar Decathlon competition (the first Kiwi team to ever do so), have been doing an awesome job at keeping us updated as they get set to compete in Washington D.C. later this year. And now, after reading about their progress and seeing it in pictures via their regular blogs, First Light have gone one better by giving us this fantastic fly-through 3D animation of their solar bach concept.
2011-01-10 17:11:01 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
In their first blog entry of 2011, and in the year they’ll be competing in the US Solar Decathlon competition (the first Kiwi team to ever do so), Victoria University’s First Light team explain why they’re so excited about the development and use of solar technologies in building, and why its benefits extend far beyond simply environmental.
2010-12-10 09:57:05 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
In their latest blog entry, the First Light team tell us why they’re assembling their solar bach on Wellington’s waterfront in the lead-up to the US Solar Decathlon competition. And just exactly how much Wellington wind will the bach be able to withstand?
2010-11-22 10:52:53 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
| 1 comment
From the beach right through to mountains—taking visitors on a journey through Kiwi landscapes is central to the ambitions of Victoria University’s First Light—the first ever team from the Southern Hemisphere to make it to the finals of the US Solar Decathlon competition, held in Washington DC next year. As they explain in their latest blog, designing a unique Kiwi landscape to go with their soalr bach concept is one thing, but how do you go about sourcing native New Zealand plants in Washington DC?
2010-11-09 14:40:31 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
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In their latest blog, the Washington-bound First Light team give us the low-down on the passive solar design principles they’ll be utilising in the construction of their bach—a bach they say will use less than a third of the energy of a typical New Zealand home.
