The public tours the international U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, featuring energy-efficient, solar-powered houses built by 20 university teams from North American and Europe, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 13.Photo: Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar DecathlonI wanted to congratulate all the students who competed in the Solar Decathlon on the National Mall this month.
The Solar Decathlon, a competition sponsored by the Department of Energy, brought together 20 teams of students from around the world who designed, engineered, and built solar-powered homes showcased in Washington, D.C.
To see these energy-saving homes, and to hear from the students themselves, please watch this video put together by my Select Committee:
Much like this competition, the United States is currently in a race with China, Spain, and other nations for clean energy jobs and technology. In June, the House passed the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act which includes green building provisions along with renewable electricity and efficiency measures that would help move the ideas displayed on the Mall into neighborhoods across Massachusetts and across the nation. Helping families save money on energy bills while putting more contractors, electricians, and builders to work is smart policy.
