DOE Selects Teams for 2009 Solar Decathlon | Renewable Energy News Article

Washington, D.C. [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the 20 university-led teams selected to compete in its fourth Solar Decathlon, which will be held in the fall of 2009. This year's teams have been selected from universities in the United States, Canada, and Germany and each team will receive $100,000 from DOE to design, build and operate an energy efficient, fully solar-powered home for the unique competition.

Selected design concepts represent a range of building technologies, including those targeted for low-income gulf-state rebuilding, affordable urban renewal, and mass-producible habitats for suburban America. Teams were required to meet specific criteria, demonstrating their ability to design and build an innovative, entirely solar-powered, 800-square-foot home from scratch, including the ability to raise additional funds.

"The Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon is more than a student project. These creative teams will develop livable, working, energy efficient, and marketable home designs powered by cutting edge, currently available solar energy technology," U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman said. "The caliber of this year's proposals was outstanding and we were thrilled with the significant increase in the number of applicants. It will be exciting to watch as the students work over the next year-and-a-half to design, build, test, and showcase their homes."

A complete list of teams selected to compete in the 2009 Department of Energy Solar Decathlon can be found by visiting DOE.