Solar powered house, anyone?

Anyone looking for the house of the future should take note of the Solar Decathalon currently taking place at the National Mall in Washington DC.  This event brings together college students from around the world to build a house, no larger than eight hundred square feet, that runs entirely on solar power.  Everything from hot water heaters to power had to come from the sun, and the resulting houses are downright impressive.

Team Ontario, for instance, built what amounts to a giant glass cube that produces fully double its own power needs, allowing the homeowner to make a little extra cash selling the power back to the grid.  And frankly, they’ll need that little extra cash; these houses have an approximate street value of between $300,000 and $500,000.

If you’re out in the area, check it out.  The show runs through Saturday.

Read