The Solar Decathlon

I've always dreamed of my children being in academic decathlons, but, this decathlon - a solar decathlon - it sounds very cool! And the pictures further prove the coolness! There are twenty different teams from universities around the world trying to build the most energy-efficient solar homes.

The competition is a week long and happens on the National Mall in Washington D.C. and the dates for this year's event are October 12-20. The teams transport their houses to the site, and rebuild them there, making a solar village. The public is allowed to take tours through the houses, except on Wednesday, October 17th, when they are closed to the public for competition purposes.

The company, BP, is partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy and sponsoring the Solar Decathlon. They are running the blog, BP Solar Decathlon, on which there will be 'as-they-build' reports posted throughout the event! That will be so neat to follow along with!

So far, Colorado is the undefeated champ - with two wins under their belts - in 2002 and 2005.

The homes have to not only be fully functional, but, also attractive! So we're not just talking about a bunch of shacks thrown together. I would love to be able to go there and see them! And they have other exhibits for spectators, as well. They have one that provides tips for saving energy for homeowners.

I'll try to remember to update you on what is going on with the competition, and I'll put a link or two in the sidebar, so we can all easily visit there!