<p>FEATURE-Cheap</a> solar? Texan house aims low to win contest | Reuters</p>
<p>Excerpts...</p>
<p>" ...The Zerow House, built by students at Rice University in Houston, will compete against other solar homes in Washington D.C. in October as part of the Solar Decathlon sponsored by the U.S. Energy Department. But unlike some of its competitors, which are integrating high-concept, high-price features like tricked-out home entertainment systems and moving solar arrays that track the sun, the Rice team's aim is affordability."</p>
<p>"Rice plans to donate the home to a low-income Houston family after the competition."</p>
<p>"Its exterior has a no-nonsense, low-maintenance metal skin meant to bear up against the Gulf Coast region's hurricane-force winds, and a lattice of vines hangs off the front to shield it from the brutal Texas sun."</p>
<p>FEATURE-Cheap</a> solar? Texan house aims low to win contest | Reuters</p>
<p>When we were visiting Ds at Rice, we lucked out and got a little guided tour of the zero house. In fact, that’s what gave us the idea to use low-energy LED lights in our kitchen. (Cheap and available at IKEA). I think its a cool little house, but it could use a little design work in terms of color and decoration! (think white, white, white, white, white)</p>
<p>Solar village begins to bloom on national mall</p>
<p>CNET News
Solar village begins to bloom on national mall</p>
<p>Please try this: [Solar</a> village begins to bloom on National Mall | Green Tech - CNET News](<a href=“http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10369995-54.html]Solar”>http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10369995-54.html)</p>
<p>Thanks for sharing these, Otto! One day I’m going to go see all the houses in D.C.!</p>
<p>Me, too. In the meantime, I hope my Rice google alert sweeps in updates on how
things are going …</p>
<p>This has been fun to follow. As of today, Rice is in first place! Go Owls! [U.S</a>. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon Home Page](<a href=“http://www.solardecathlon.org%5DU.S”>http://www.solardecathlon.org)</p>
<p>We’ll know who the winner is on Friday, 10/16.
Here’s the score sheet: [DOE</a> Solar Decathlon: Current Standings](<a href=“http://www.solardecathlon.org/scoring/]DOE”>http://www.solardecathlon.org/scoring/)</p>
<p>If you can send text messages, you can help make Zerow House the People’s Choice …
also more info about the solar house</p>
<p>[Rice</a> University | News & Media](<a href=“http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=13181]Rice”>http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=13181)</p>
<p>I’m planning on applying to Rice ED and my dad isn’t too happy about it (alma mater = UPenn and he’s hardcore about it, so is the rest of his legacy family) so he was making fun of the fact that Rice’s football team lost to Navy BRUTALLY today…</p>
<p>I basically was like “Well, they’re winning the solar decathalon, dad, and I’d say that’s a LITTLE more important than football!! ^_^”</p>
<p>I know Penn quite well, and I can appreciate your dad’s loyalty – but I hope he visits
Rice soon. You’ve got it right, RaeBanging! Good luck to you and good luck to Zerow!!!</p>
<p>[Solar</a> Decathlon Contestants - Rice University’s ZEROW House Finds Strength in Simplicity at Solar Decathlon 2009 - Popular Mechanics](<a href=“http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/home_improvement/4333863.html?nav=RSS20&src=syn&dom=yah_buzz&mag=pop]Solar”>http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/home_improvement/4333863.html?nav=RSS20&src=syn&dom=yah_buzz&mag=pop)</p>
<p>With just two days left, Zerow House has taken second place in Market Viability
and Architecture, and exemplifies how less is more.</p>
<p>USA Today wrote about what’s happening to Zerow House after the decathlon.</p>
<p>"The house built by Rice University in Houston will be donated to Project Row House, a nonprofit organization that meshes low-income housing with arts and culture in a local historic Houston district.</p>
<p>"It is the least expensive house in the competition, costing about $140,000 to build.</p>
<p>“Our house may not be the flashiest, but we made sure it could be for everybody,” says team member Travis Martin, while leading a group of middle school students into the house.</p>
<p>After winning two prestigious second places: Architecture and Market Viability,
Rice was eclipsed by top winners Germany, Illinois, and California, this year.
It’s hard to imagine a bigger victory than knowing that Zerow House will soon be
providing shelter, helping Houstonians. They say that Zerow was the least flashy competitor – and truly one of the most powerful statements at the D.C. Decathlon! Kudos to Team Rice!!!</p>
<p>As one observer wrote about Rice’s achievement, (and then I’ll stop zeroing in on Zerow):</p>
<p>“What is most impressive about this team is that the average budget of the 20 solar decathlon houses at the mall is $490,000, while the ZEROW home was built for only $140,000!!! Even more impressive, the ZEROW House was designed specifically for Houston’s Third Ward Neighborhood as part of Project Row House – an organization that seeks to develop housing for low-to moderate-income families.”</p>