U takes high-tech house to D.C. for solar contest

Shannon Curran, Getty/AFP

Student teams prepared their entries Friday at the Solar Decathlon on the National Mall. Twenty teams from around the world compete to build the most attractive, efficient solar-powered house.

Star Tribune

Last update: October 2, 2009 - 10:57 PM

The University of Minnesota is one of 20 colleges that has a team in the nation's capital to demonstrate a high-tech, high-efficiency solar-powered house as part of an international competition.

More than 800 student competitors from the United States, Canada, Spain and Germany are participating in the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

The competition will take place Oct. 8-16 on the National Mall.

The houses will be open to the public for viewing Oct. 9-13 and Oct. 15-18.

The Solar Decathlon includes 10 contests that evaluate the architecture, engineering, comfort, marketability, appliances, lighting and other aspects of the teams' houses.

The teams will have to perform everyday tasks -- including cooking, laundry and washing dishes -- to test the energy efficiency of their houses.

"More-efficient buildings powered with renewable energy can and must play a major role in meeting the energy challenge, and these students will be at the forefront of that effort in the years ahead," Energy Secretary Steven Chu said. "They represent the next generation of clean energy pioneers and entrepreneurs, and are a great example of what American innovation can accomplish."

This year's 20 university-led teams were chosen two years ago through a competitive process.

This is the fourth time that the Department of Energy has held the competition since 2002.

To learn more about the teams and their homes, go to: www.solardecathlon.org/teams.cfm.

PAUL WALSH