Occasionally I'll cross my normal arts boundaries and share something different. Today's excitement is the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon, which has been taking place at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
College teams built solar houses and then competed in ten contests of everyday tasks, including cooking, laundry, and washing dishes, to gauge the houses' energy-efficiency, livability, and affordability. It was a truly international competition, with student teams from Belgium, Canada, China, and New Zealand, as well as the U.S.
The University of Maryland won top honors overall by designing, building, and operating the most cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive solar-powered house. Purdue University took second place, followed by New Zealand (Victoria University of Wellington) in third place.
The application process for the sixth U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, to be held in fall 2013, has already begun.
I think my favorite this year was Appalachian State, just because they brought so much of the natural area into the project. Southern Cal was cool, too -- reminded me of an old VW camper!
ReplyDeleteThose two guitarists are so masterful and soulful. I really enjoyed them. And wow on the virtual chorus. Seamless.
ReplyDeleteMadelyn, I just saw that Appalachian State won the People's Choice Award!
ReplyDeleteThe students gave 357,000 house visits to people who came to the Decathlon. Awesome!