Let’s Build Up Michigan was a competition
to design a net-zero energy house to be built on
Mackinac Island. Using technologies observed in passive
solar housing and a Solar Decatholon entry, our
Lansing Community College team beat out four major
universities including Michigan State, two University of
Michigan teams and Central Michigan University to take
first place.
The Challenge of building in such choppy
winds and a cloudy climate limited the ability to harvest
energy from solar and windpower. The island itself is
made mostly of solid bedrock, making geothermal systems
all but impossible. Aside from limiting natural parameters,
the zoning requires a victorian style; using the
least energy efficient forms such as turrets and bay windows