Audio: Sunny Skies for Solar Energy

Government sponsored energy competition brings out the brightest designs of these college students
by Charles Bickford

However temporary the effort, the third bi-annual Solar Decathlon held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., wasn’t about residence in the here and now. It was about education, for both the estimated 120,000 visitors and the 20 university teams from the United States, Spain, and Germany. The teams competed to design and build a home that was solar-powered and as close to net-zero energy as possible in this contest sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and a host of building-related concerns.

This audio slideshow highlights some of the most ingenious ideas that the students developed. Click on the image to launch the slideshow.

Photos by: Charles Bickford
From Fine Homebuilding 193
January 1, 1900

Related Topics:
Energy Efficiency | Green Design | New Construction
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