Final results rolled in Friday for the Solar Decathlon 2009 and Team Germany claimed the win! This year’s entry, the surPLUShome, featured a glossy dark facade that was almost entirely covered in photovoltaic panels. Very sleek! I think I would have preferred to get rid of the wood trim and have it be more monochromatic, but that is just the minimalist in me talking. The house produced an impressive 2x the amount of energy needed. This is the second win for Team Germany, who’s 2007 entry also secured the top spot.
Another favorite entry from this years competition was Rice University’s ZEROW House. The ZEROW House is a 520 square foot zero energy home that proves that a home can be not only technologically innovative and attractive, but affordable as well. Be sure to poke around their website a bit. There are some great interactive tours.
