budget & costs
As with any real-world project where financial constraints must be taken into account, the Cornell University Solar Decathlon team closely monitored the cost of the project. These costs are summarized below:
- House materials: $275,000
- Project operating expenses (student labor, construction tools, media expenses): $180,000
- House, personnel, and materials transportation: $80,000
- Total project costs: $535,000
Many of these costs are project-specific, such as transportation and media expenses, and would not be accrued if the house were built for its intended purpose: a full-time residence for a young, working couple near Ithaca, N.Y. In addition, the materials expense includes customizations needed solely for the competition that inflate the cost of the house. Thus, if the house were designed and built and for its intended purpose, the construction costs, including professional labor and laying a foundation, would be roughly $285,000.
