Homes shaped like a cocoon, a mound and a Y now stand in a park adjacent to the National Mall, looking for a ray of sunshine. Amidst the brouhaha surrounding the loan to solar-module manufacturer Solyndra, the latest "solar decathlon" competition begins today, September 23, in Washington, D.C.—leading to a cohort of 20 innovative solar homes standing in West Potomac Park.

Since 2002 the U.S. Department of Energy has put on such a competition every couple of years, aiming to train students in the art of solar building. The idea is to challenge the teams of college students to "design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive." Judge the latter for yourself in the following pictures.

View slide show of 2011 solar decathlon entrants.

The rules of the competition are simple: design the kind of house described above and assemble it in Washington, D.C., for judging. Then juries of experts evaluate each entrant on architecture, appeal, engineering, communications (meaning how well the designers explain their house to others), affordability, comfort, hot water production, appliance efficiency, home entertainment (ecofriendly dinner parties and movie nights with your neighbors!), and, finally, how much energy the house actually produces. And you can participate, too, by helping vote for the "People's Choice Award."

The goal is to glean some of the bright ideas from these homes and embed them in the real world. The idea has proved so popular that similar competitions have spread to Europe (next event, spring 2012) and, most recently, China (mark your calendars for 2013).

For the past two U.S. decathlons, sunny Team Germany triumphed, making them the team to beat—except that they're aren't competing this time. That leaves the solar field wide open, especially because there is a spending limit to ensure that no one simply buys victory with the most expensive and efficient technology. The winner will be announced on October 4, but the true victors enjoying the solar spoils of this competition may be future home-owners.

7 Comments

1. 1. tintinmilou 07:02 PM 9/23/11

   Having a solar challenge in Washington state is a challenge, indeed! How about rain conservation? Waterwheel generation?

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2. 2. Bops 07:04 PM 9/23/11

   What lousy pictures?

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3. 3. Bops 04:17 AM 9/24/11

   I know there is lot of pictures, but they didn't show the most of the homes insides. There was just took much happening in the pictures to focus on what the homes looked like.

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4. 4. beetlebob 08:27 AM 9/24/11

   Having been to one I see how much time and work goes into every home. It is in Washington DC (not the state) and the pictures were good.All students in all of the houses from first place to last did a good job and were helpful with any questions I asked.I think this show should be put on all over the US to help everyone get hands on learning to make us more energy free.

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5. 5. dulcimoo 12:32 PM 9/26/11

   The time for solar PV has come. Prices have dropped ... and over the lifetime of a system the price paid is somewhat less than the cost from the utility. My power is costing me about 10c/kWh as opposed to 10c-32c/kWh I would buy from the utility. Of course the down side is I had to pay the cost up front ... and solar will continue to cost less and less over time. Solar for hot water heating is even less....and the ROI is only a few years.

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6. 6. MikeO 10:18 AM 9/30/11

   This is yet another example of the BS over solar it is not cost effective & giving subsidies is foolish at best . When you have a product that is a viable product in the marketplace then solar is an alternative Energy today it is nothing but a Gov Subsidized Novelty. "my power costing me" the problem it cost the rest of USA Citizens also. Give this money to research and the rest will bloom as any other awesome invention did & will. Now we are throwing money away for what will be a billion $ cost to taxpayers when these companies pushing this "lease" deal can't make a profit & Bail out . The we the Taxpayers will be stuck with the bill . More money taken from further research to save this planet & the Fools inhabiting it (including myself ! ),

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7. 7. MullerMonica 09:06 PM 10/1/11

   Excellent proposal. The future is the ecology and science to keep! I would love to live in a house ecological!

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