Solar Houses October 12th, 2009
On Saturday we checked out the Solar Decathlon houses on the National Mall. Impressive! The lines were long, so we only waited long enough to tour through the interior of the Virginia Tech house (pictured), and yes, it’s as innovative as it looks. There were custom kitchen drawers that folded out to create more counter-space, iPhone controlled home settings, and fold-out privacy panels for the bedroom — they revealed the flat screen TV behind them. Design was in the details! But more importantly, the goal of all the houses was to be energy neutral, meaning no electricity bills! They are being judged on numerous other points, too, like architecture and marketability. The total cost of each house was to come in under $160,000. With more time, I would have liked to see the inside of Cornell’s silo-inspired house. Check them out if you have a chance, today and tomorrow, or the 15th-18th. They are closed for judging on the 14th.
