"A green home designed and built by University of Maryland students took top overall honors in this year’s U.S. Energy Department Solar Decathlon, which aims to showcase innovative and affordable solar-powered homes."

"Maryland took second place in the 2007 decathlon but sat out the 2009 competition. Richard King, the Energy Department’s Solar Decathlon director, said taking that break allowed students and faculty to develop the strongest possible entry this year.

'They came in and they knew what they were doing,' King said. 'They also had just a brilliant design solution. It wasn’t just a solar house, it was incorporating everything it had to have to be sustainable.'"

Emma Brown and Juliet Eilperin report for the Washington Post October 1, 2011. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"At Solar Decathlon Finale, Chu Defends DOE Solar Program, Hails American Ingenuity" (Greenwire) [3]