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The Penn State Solar Decathlon Mark The Penn State Morningstar Branding Image

Community Development
MORNINGSTAR CONCEPT = COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
The American Indian Housing Initiative (AIHI) from Penn State has an established partnership with the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. Due to the extreme climatic conditions in Montana, maintaining a house becomes difficult, creating an opportunity to implement sustainable solutions. The Northern Cheyenne Housing Authority is fully motivated to apply a new solution, and the MorningStar, Montana might be it! There are many occurrences where their community spends quality time with all the workers. Below are images from the most recent trip to Lame Deer, MT to build the actual marketable prototype on Chief Dull Knife College.
 Design Cycle
Claudia Torres and Haley Spang on Botany Tour Larissa and Bridget Simpson Help Build the MorningStar, MT Dan Kirchheimer and Littlest Spang Horseplaying
 Kyle Macht Helping Build the MorningStar, MT
In addition to paving the way for wider implementation, the MorningStar prototype home will also stimulate further community development. 

By designing the MorningStar home to make use of "materials of opportunity," locally available construction techniques, and technologies that are most feasible for the given community, the home will encourage the development of local industry. These industries are based on renewable resources that already exist within a community, and could potentially generate new industries that are well suited for the region.
Process by Design
  1. MorningStar home introduced in a community.

  2. Community embraces the MorningStar concept.

  3. Concept brings forth new opportunities.

  4. Opportunities create new businesses and jobs.
Stage 1 of the MorningStar, MT Stage 2 of the MorningStar, MT Stage 3 of the MorningStar, MT For example, if a community has an abundance of straw or some other agricultural byproduct, then it makes sense to try to incorporate straw into the design of the prototype home, such as in strawbale walls. After the prototype home is built, if it is proposed that new homes use strawbale walls, then it starts becoming economically feasible for someone to set up a straw baling operation. This means that once the strawbales are manufactured locally the cost of building will also decrease.  Similarly, solar panel installers, geothermal ground loop installers, or specialty product distributors may be needed. By serving as a working sustainable design guide for the community, as well as an economic stimulus, the prototype MorningStar Home really becomes an important and integral part of the community.
Stage 4 of the MorningStar, MT Stage 5 of the MorningStar, MT Stage 6 of the MorningStar, MT
Stage 7 of the MorningStar, MT Stage 8 of the MorningStar, MT Stage 9 of the MorningStar, MT
AIHI 2007 Group Photo
AIHI 2007 Group Photo





eco-logic
The earth receives more energy from the sun in just one hour than the world uses in a whole year.