VOA Voice Of America :
‘On a cold weekend this month, thousands of people waited in the rain to visit twenty unusual buildings set up in the heart of Washington, DC. They gathered to see buildings that get all the power they need from the sun. But these structures were not just about solar power. They offered visitors a chance to step into the future of home design and household technology.
The houses were entered in the Two Thousand Nine Solar Decathlon. The United States Department of Energy organized the event. It brought together teams representing twenty universities from Canada, Germany, Spain and the United States. The main goal was to create beautiful homes that can meaningfully cut energy use.
The competition was first held in two thousand two and has taken place every two years since two thousand five.
Tags: darmstadt, Department of Energy, electricity, houses, panel, photovoltaïc, solar decathlon 2009, solar energy, university, VOA
