The Drexel Smart House engages students at Drexel University in a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach. Our number one priority is the study of environmental factors in our local community and sustainable solutions to these problems. Our activities have a direct impact on the surrounding West Philadelphia community, as well as broader communities and industries we are involved in. Additionally, we study integrated building design and Human Systems Integration through a variety of research activities. To see what's on our minds, go to the Drawing Board.
Agriculture Group (Coming Soon)
Building Materials Group (Coming Soon)
-New!- Urban Renewal Insulation (Coming Soon)
Daylight Simulation & LED lighting
Multi-Touch Interaction (Coming Soon)
Rain Water Retention & RecoveryBiomass Digestion (Coming Soon)
Community Classroom (Coming Soon)
Solar Chimney & Passive Ventilation
Energy Recovery Wheel (Coming Soon)
Variable Refrigerant Flow Heating & Cooling System
Smart House's Cool Roof Coating project was one of six Phase II winners at the EPA's 2009 People, Prosperity, & Planet design competitionThe senior design team of Eric Eisele, Courtney Reid, Dan Pugh, Sarah Byrnes, and Charlie Woods was awarded a Phase II People, Prosperity, and Planet Award from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Competing against 43 university teams, the Drexel University Department of Materials Science and Engineering team received one of six Phase II awards on Monday, April 20, 2009 in Washington, D.C. at the National Sustainable Design Expo.
The award-winning senior design project, “Cool Roof Coatings Utilizing Glass Hollow Microspheres for Improved Solar Reflectance,” increases the reflectance of cool roof coatings while cutting raw material costs. Cool roof coatings save energy and mitigate the urban heat island effect.
Previously, the team received a Phase I award in the amount of $10,000. The Phase II awards provide $75,000 of funding for two years and will be used to develop the coating further and field test the technology by reaching out to the neighborhoods surrounding Drexel. The team will work in conjunction with the Drexel Smart House initiative.
Professor Michel Barsoum, A. W. Grosvenor Professor, along with Dr. James Hagarman of the Goodwin College of Professional Studies, advises the team. Industry partners include Chris Smith from Potter's Beads and Matthew Lendzinski from Dow Chemical.
Smart House Receives $20,000 Grant to Develop Product from CeeLite’s LEC TechnologyDrexel Smart House has received a $20,000 Product Innovation Grant from Pittsburgh based Green Building Alliance (GBA) to develop a product from CeeLite’s Light Emitting Capacitor (LEC) technology. CeeLite has been a Drexel Smart House partner for several months now. This grant allow us to work together to create an innovative product, not only for the Smart House, but also for people everywhere. The project overview is below:
“Drexel University is leading a team to use CeeLite’s LEC technology to develop a commercially viable lighting prototype for residential lighting applications that is cost effective, energy efficient and provides interior illumination with daylight qualities. Because the CeeLite LEC panel is a luminous surface, it is necessary to alter the perception of what constitutes a residential luminary, or light fixture, which will require a different methodology for lighting design itself. A well-designed prototype using LEC technology has the potential of being commercialized, manufactured and distributed for residential lighting applications.”
Dr. Gena Ellis, Drexel Smart House adviser and Interior Design professor, is the primary investigator for the grant. Faculty from the College of Engineering are also involved.
Students who may be interested in working on this project should e-mail info@drexelsmarthouse.com. The original announcement can be found here at GBA’s website.
The Drexel Smart House is an official student organization at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Please email for inquiries.