Honda smart home in the US is ready for testing

Honda Smart House US has already been built at the University of California. The house will serve as an object for testing the living space of the future. 44 percent of all greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere in the United States are emitted from homes and cars. When designing a house, the need to neutralize these emissions was taken into account. In addition, the house generates enough solar energy to fuel the car and use the electricity at home.

The house is run by HEMS - an energy management system from Honda. The system is located in the garage and controls and optimizes energy consumption. A battery with a capacity of 10 kWh is installed next to the system - it is used to store energy collected using a 9.5 kW solar photovoltaic system installed on the roof.





The base of the house is a concrete slab consisting of half of pozzolan (a dusty product, a mixture of volcanic ash, pumice, tuff ), which is found in the ground and formed as a result of volcanic ash deposits. Due to the fact that pozzolan does not need to be heated to the same temperatures as cement, Honda at the construction stage reduced carbon dioxide emissions.

Heating and cooling of the house is done using geothermal heat pumps. The same system supplies hot water for the household. The water is heated in the tank, you take a shower, after which the water drained from the bathroom is used to heat the cold city water supply.



The water drained from the shower after it warms up cold water in the tap is pumped into four heat reservoirs installed in the backyard of the house. There, the heat of the earth heats the water a little more, after which the water is sent back to the house - for heating. Water passes through pipes located in the floor, roof and ceiling. In the same way, in summer, water can cool a house.

During the construction of the house, climatic conditions were also taken into account. On the north side, windows provide natural light and ventilation. South-facing windows are designed to optimize heating and cooling. Double walls, a metal roof and a foundation are also designed to increase energy efficiency.



Honda, among other things, has modified its electric car so that it can be recharged directly from solar panels. It also reduces costs. Intelligent lighting is installed throughout the house, depending on natural light and time of day. Honda has worked with California Lighting Technology Center for this project.

According to the developers, Honda Smart House US is three times more effective in terms of water consumption than any house of this size in the area.