Solar Decathlon 2005 (DVD)- A Solar Village on the National Mall

Product Description In the fall of 2005,The U.S.Dept.of Energy sponsored an international competition to design, build & operate the best solar- powered home. 18 college &university teams from the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico & Spain transported their custom-built homes to the National Mall to compete in this ten-part contest. The Rahus Institute (rahus.org) followed the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo team for 2 years as they designed, built & trucked their house 3,000 miles to the nation s capitol. This 52 minute DVD documents the exciting competition, explores the 18 cutting edge solar homes, & introduces the enthusiastic student teams from around the globe. A companion book is also available providing details of the 18 solar homes. The Book and DVD are used as part of the YOUR SOLAR HOME curriculum of the Solar Schoolhouse Program (Rahus). Bonus feature from KEAN (Kids Environmental Action Network) is included with the DVD - featuring interviews with student participants. Review "If we could produce just a fraction of the power for our buildings from the sun and, at the same time, reduce our total energy demand by using smarter technologies and designs, the impact on our energy outlook would be tremendous. That is why we are so optimistic about this competition. Young scientists, engineers, and architects-the future builders of America-learn about the latest energy technologies. They learn to work together to balance aesthetics with energy utility to make their homes attractive to the average buyer. Finally, they inspire their peers, the public, and policymakers to think in new ways about how we can use our energy. This is the kind of inspiration the nation needs as we continue to confront a variety of energy challenges." --Congresswoman Judy Biggert, Chairman, House Science Subcommittee on Energy "I think this competition, particularly this one in 2005, really proved that solar power can work. We had no direct sunlight for the last week! And despite that teams were washing clothes, washing dishes, running air conditioners and doing everything that a normal household would do. If it can work this week, it can work anywhere in the world right now. Solar Energy is here today, let's celebrate that." --Jeff Lyng, Team Project Manager from University of Colorado "We climbed on the roof and looked at gardens. There were some that had very intricate wastewater systems on the outside of the houses. The students had done a tremendous job thinking of all the