sci/tech sensation news magazine

You don't need to build a house from scratch to take advantage of smart new solar technology, but that's exactly what 18 college and university teams did for the Solar Decathlon, a competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The students spent three years designing houses powered exclusively by solar energy, and this past October transported them to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., where the doors were thrown open to the public. Weather during the two-week Decathlon ranged from cloudy to stormy, which put rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems to the test. Despite the inclement conditions, more than 120,000 spectators waited in line to see inside the roughly 800-sq.-ft. houses. With average winter fuel costs projected to be 33 percent higher this year than last, many people were there to glean ideas for tightening up their own homes' building envelopes with triple-glazed windows, structural insulated panels and other energy-efficient features. But perhaps the most surprising lesson was that comfort and style don't have to be sacrificed in the pursuit of alternative energy.

See also:

Solar Power at Half the Cost

Solar without the Panels

Laser heats up the fusion future

Toyota building green-car battery plants