Energy geeks compete for coolest solar home (MIT, 2007 Solar Decathalon)

http://news.com.com/Energy+geeks+compete+for+coolest+solar+home/2100-11392_3-6201743.html

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--Right behind the solar car on every environmentalist's wish list is a home powered entirely by the sun.

This summer, teams from 20 universities are busy building enough homes to make an entire "solar village." The off-grid, self-powering homes will be on display for 10 days in October on the National Mall in Washington D.C., competing in the Department of Energy's 2007 Solar Decathlon.

A group from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has already begun construction of its off-grid solar-powered home, called MIT Solar 7 and drawing in students and advisers with expertise in everything from electrical storage to mechanical engineering. It's part of an MIT-wide commitment to energy-related research to address climate change.

The team's 800-square-foot home, going up in a crumbling parking lot near the MIT campus, combines energy-efficient design with the latest in solar technology: a passive solar-heating system and a photovoltaic array big enough to not only operate the house but also power an electric car.

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