A Team Missouri member stains his house's deck in preparation for opening day.
Past Decathlons
The 2009 Solar Decathlon is the fourth competition, with past Decathlons occurring in the fall of 2007, 2005, and 2002. During each of the past Solar Decathlons, more than 100,000 visitors flocked to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to visit the "solar village."
After the inaugural event in 2002, many of the same teams returned to test their designs in the second Solar Decathlon. In 2005, the field of competitors was expanded and attracted 18 student teams from colleges and universities from the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Spain. In 2007, 20 teams took part in the Solar Decathlon.
These teams competed in 10 contests to determine which team designed, constructed, and operated the most attractive and energy-efficient home powered solely by the sun. The teams also came to the nation's capital to share what they had learned about the latest solar energy and energy efficiency technologies with the public.
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Content Last Updated: February 18, 2010
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