Commercial and residential buildings account for over one-third of the energy consumed in the U.S. and dictate two-thirds of the electrical generating capacity requirements. Recognizing the impact of building energy use on national energy and global environmental issues, the Department of Energy and its public and private partners joined to sponsor the first Solar Decathlon in 2002. The event was a national competition among University student teams to design, build, and operate a small home office building powered solely by solar energy.
A multidisciplinary team of students and faculty from the University of Colorado competed in the Solar Decathlon events. In the process of developing our entry, we also sought to promote energy efficient and environmentally sensitive building technologies and develop educational materials to increase public awareness. The project served as a focus for related activities on campus, allowing us to deliver an exceptional educational opportunity for University of Colorado students, expand research programs through public and private partnerships, and increase outreach activities on energy and environmental issues.
And to make a rewarding project even better, WE WON! 
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