Santa claus came to town early during the week of October 10 to 16. He came to check out work done by student architects and engineers from 18 different colleges and universities who constructed and operated zero-energy houses on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It was all part of a contest inaugurated in 2002 by the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to showcase student ingenuity. The entire "Solar Decathlon" was powered by renewable energy—the teams' houses, tents and trailers included. To power a house on sunlight is a technological accomplishment that many find hard to believe, especially in cloudy weather. What these teams proved is that solar energy really works and energy efficiency pays off, albeit with some unique architecture.
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