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This website features work from the completion of Phase 1 of the SCALES Project.

We are currently seeking partnerships for Phase 2.

Experiential Learning

Experiential learning experiences provide students with direct experiences, accompanied with a critical reflection. Instructors often select the experiences for students, but then serve as the facilitator when the experience is occurring. These experiences are often conducted in informal education settings and with clubs and organizations, but also have a place in the formal setting.

  • Assignment 8

    The fourth week of our airflow lab is in two phases: 

    1. Please prepare an occupants’ manual for your Chinese apartment. Passively conditioned buildings require occupant involvement, much more than buildings with mechanical systems that ensure thermostat set points are maintained. Your apartment occupants can inhabit any of the rooms and can adjust the balcony openings and apartment windows and doors in a number of ways, for different wind and outdoor temperature conditions. 
    2. Please consider the effect of airflow on the rate at which a miniature structure (even smaller than our elf houses) cools off. This is intended to combine thermal and airflow analysis.
    Read more: Assignment 8

  • Assignment 7

    The third week of our airflow lab focuses on simulation:

    1. Prepare to use the CONTAMW airflow simulation program, installed on two working computers in lab and available free to all with Windows computers. 
    2. Become proficient in CONTAMW by completing the provided worksheet.
    3. Use CONTAMW for the following investigation of your apartment-balcony, working at full (and not model) scale:
    Read more: Assignment 7

  • Assignment 6

    The second week of our airflow lab focuses on airflow measurements and analysis.

    Read more: Assignment 6

  • Assignment 5

    The goal of this assignment, the first phase of the lab project that focuses on airflows and building ventilation, is to design, construct in model form, and test an enclosure (partial or full) for a typical balcony for a Chinese apartment. The motivation for this work is to propose feasible designs for Chinese residential buildings that are thermally comfortable and use a minimal amount of energy.

    Read more: Assignment 5

  • Assignment 4

    The fourth and last phase of our first lab consists of the following: 

    1. Download data from your second test period, which should be a week long and a minimum of six days. 
    2. Compare your measured data with an after-the-fact prediction made with measured outdoor temperature and solar radiation. 
    3. Adapt the provided Matlab .m file to accurately simulate your elf house. 
    4. Prepare a 10-minute presentation for lab next week to describe your work, which should include all data and as much analysis as you have been able to perform. No need to cover Mr. Potato Head. No late presentations, please!
    5. Prepare a written lab report using the provided checklist and submit the report in lab in two weeks. 
    Read more: Assignment 4

  • Assignment 3

    The third phase of our first lab consists of six parts: 

    1. Submit your estimate of your elf-house temperatures for the first test period.
    2. Download data.
    3. Modify your elf house as needed to keep the indoor temperature closer to the target value of 20°C. 
    4. Re-install the Hobo loggers and again deploy your house on the roof.
    5. Estimate the impact of solar energy absorbed on walls and the roof.  
    6. Use Solar Calculator 2 to design a full-size dwelling (single room is fine), subject to the same goal of a constant 20°C indoor temperature under February weather. 
    Read more: Assignment 3

  • Assignment 1

    While you are free to construct your house entirely on the basis of your design and modeling skills and your physical intuition, please consider making use of provided software to guide you in choices about windows and insulation. We will use several versions of this software throughout the lab to compare prediction with performance. The elf house should be ready next week to be placed on the roof for an initial, one-week test period. Please come to lab next week prepared to finish the construction during the first half of our session. We’ll then activate and insert the temperature loggers and place the houses on the roof . We’ll also work with the data from the potatoes and continue to work with the software. 

    Read more: Assignment 1

  • Practicing Poverty

    For the next week, limit your spending to $2 per day. Try to minimize your reliance on pre-existing resources (such as using food that is in the pantry, eating your room-mates leftovers etc.).

    Read more: Practicing Poverty

  • Trip Project Proposal

    This form will allow the D-Lab staff to provide feedback and help you prepare for your project. You should fill in a form for each project you are working on, but only one of them will be turned in to be graded. You should continue to refine the proposals throughout the semester.

    Read more: Trip Project Proposal

  • Practical Photovoltaics Design

    You are in charge of designing a solar panel installation for a rural health post. The requirements for the given location are as follows:

    • There is a 220W freezer that needs to run 24/7
    • The health post is open until 9pm, and, on average, they have to turn the lights on from 6pm until they close. Given their needs, it seems that the most adequate installation would be 2 fluorescent lights of 15W each.
    • They have an amateur radio to communicate with the clinic in the city, that consumes 40W, and it is usually on for two hours every day.
    • The health post is staffed every day of the year.
    Read more: Practical Photovoltaics Design

Notice something that doesn’t seem right? Want to make a suggestion or provide feedback about how something is classified? 
Please reach out to esi [at] mit.edu and include SCALES Website in the subject of your email.
Feedback and any actions taken with regards to the feedback, will be shared as they are addressed.