It’s that time of year again and the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon 2007 competition is heating up with 20 different universities from the U. S., Canada, Germany and Spain competing for the top prize. According to the DOE, the point of the competition is to make solar energy for homes cost competitive with electricity generated by fossil fuels by the year 2015.
On the way to the National Mall in Washington, DC, the truck carrying Santa Clara University’s solar home broke down twice, creating a bit of anxiety and a time crunch for the students. Today’s standings from first to fifth include Maryland, Darmstadt, Penn State, Georgia Tech and Montreal.
The final winners will be announced tomorrow and two-time defending champion University of Colorado still hopes to make a come from behind bid to seal the deal on Friday. Right now, they are in 10th place with Santa Clara right ahead of them in 9th place.