Solar Decathlon Showcases Green Home Design

On a summery 75 degree Saturday, long lines stretched around the sides of 20 freshly erected houses inhabiting the Washington Mall. Though it looked like the grand opening of the DC region's newest upscale neighborhood, this was, in fact, the 2nd day of the Solar Decathlon.

On the Mall from October 12-20, the U.S. Department of Energy contest features teams from colleges and universities from around the world trying to build the best solar home. Each entrant will be competing across 10 categories ranging from architectural design, to market viability and engineering. In addition to meeting home electricity, heating, and cooking needs using only sunbeams, each home must also power a small electric vehicle.

Tech innovations in these eco-estates range from foamed-filled insulators called Structural Insulated Panels (SIP's), to the modular plug-and-play design of Texas A&M's groHome, and recycled glass EnviroGlas countertops.

I toured the solar abode of The University of Colorado, the two-time defending champs. From the east, their CORE House looks a bit like a cubist painting, with its shipping container backbone, angled aluminum slab and bright green front extrusion. One of the building's innovative features is a rooftop thermal collector concealed under the photovoltaic solar panels that functions like a super-sized radiator. By using hot and cold water tanks, the system can alternately heat or cool the house as needed.

Of the ray-powered ramblers I was able to queue for/sneak into, New York Institute of Technology's OPEN House had the most elegant interior layout. It has a spacious design, with a single south-facing area of the house containing a dining room, living room and bedroom. Finishing the look are a high, angled ceiling and sleek, Ikea-style furnishings. Amenities such as the bathroom and laundry room are divided from the main living area by graphics-printed sliding screens and glass doors. The entire rear of the house is lined with wooden doors that open up to a deck stretching the length of the structure.

The houses will be judged with individual winners in each category and an overall winner based on total points. So far, first place in architecture has been awarded to Germany's Technische Universität Darmstadt, while the University of Maryland took the prize for best communications.

In all, it was an inspiration to see so many sustainable housing innovations in one place. And the fact that most of these decathlo-homes will go on to live productive lives in the real world could be a sign that the race to build green may be heating up.