Design Group 3 EDSGN 100, Section 9 Fall 2008 Project Sponsored by Borton-Lawson and the PSU Solar Decathlon

Solar Technology has developed extraordinarily to date, but many improvements can be made to optimize energy efficiency and performance, as well as to make solar products more aesthetically pleasing to their owners.

Problem Clothes dryers are not very energy efficient appliances, so an energy-conscious home must look to simple outdoor clotheslines to dry laundry. Such clotheslines depend on outdoor weather conditions, and are not aesthetically acceptable in most cases.

About 5.8 percent of residential electricity use goes towards the clothes dryer, according to DOE EIA statistics from When clothes dryers are kept at cool temperatures (as they often are in air conditioned homes), they require more energy to heat the air inside. After the refrigerator, the clothes dryer uses more energy than any other appliance, approximately 800 kWh/yr Clothes dryers use between 1800 and 5000 watts per hour they are used, depending on their size and the energy consciousness of their creators. Over its expected lifetime of 18 years, the average clothes dryer will cost you approximately $1,530 to operate.

Design Considerations The clothes dryer should be energy efficient. The clothes dryer should be aesthetically acceptable or even pleasing. The material cost should be as small as possible. The clothes dryer should be safe to use and easy to maintain.

B C D Selection CriteriaWeight%RatingWeighted ScoreRatingWeighted ScoreRatingWeighted Score Ease of use Energy Efficiency Drying Speed Appearance Safety Ease of Manufacture Size Ease of Maintenance Total Score Rank Continue? No Yes No Decision Matrix

Energy Efficiency Our design relies only on the energy that it provides for itself: Tinted glass is used on the back walldark blue glass works best to absorb heat and prevent it from escaping. Fans are powered by the solar energy processed through that wall and air pathways allow for good ventilation. Fiberglass insulation retains captured heat. Water that drips from wet clothing is collected beneath and can be recycled to an outdoor garden.

Appearance Clothes that are hanging to dry are hidden behind closed doors– our customer survey indicated that aesthetically pleasing means not seen.

Size Lines are retractable so that space can be maximized when not in use. The closet functions as both a device for drying clothing but also has storage capabilities.

Drying Speed The combination of drying techniques allows hanging clothes to be dried completely in the time it would take on an outdoor clothesline in ideal weather conditions.

Safety In order to prevent excess heat from remaining in the apparatus and causing injury, several methods may be used to cool the area: The door may be opened to allow for full ventilation A curtain on the outside may be used to deflect sunlight from increasing the heat intake The fan used in the drying process also contributes to the cooling

Ease of Use In our design, the clothes drying area is located immediately adjacent to the washer– the inconvenience of carrying clothes to another location is eliminated.

Ease of Maintenance As mentioned previously, all water is contained after use for the next drying, so no clean-up of the floor is necessary. All parts are removable or retractable to allow for optimal movement for cleaning.

Ease of Manufacture Resembles a standard closet, so construction is not very difficult. Simply requires specified materials to enhance the effectiveness of the surroundings for drying clothes.