Hot shots [solar powered home]

This paper describes the US Department of Energy sponsored the Solar Decathlon 2007 which aims to challenge engineering students from around the globe to build an energy efficient, solar-powered home for less than $400,000. The competition requires each house to function more or less like any home in any developed nation, providing enough solar power to do the laundry, power a home office, cook dinner and leave the television turned on for at least six hours a day. Each house is judged across a range of specifications, from architecture and comfort to appliances included and overall energy balance, with a view to producing more energy than is consumed.