Don't look for discarded beer cans in these houses.
This week, the Solar Decathlon continues, with 20 teams from around the world -- though mostly just the United States and Europe -- competing to build the most attractive and efficient solar-powered house.
The houses have a futuristic, simplistic beauty to them, a mix of cutting-edge design and breathtaking technology -- some of the houses require less electricity than a standard hairdryer -- that fuses into something altogether different.
Remember, these houses are the size of trailers, that mobile testament to a white-trash kind of life. And, while the resident of those sad shacks have become known for wasteful, indulgent practices, these 650 sq. ft. homes do just the opposite.
I'm happy to report, after touring all but two of the homes, that I would opt to live in any of them given the choice. Standing in the living of the University of Darmstadt house, there is a palpable sense of moving forward, of finally fixing some of the country's energy woes that demand so much of our national attention.
And let me say that I'm not a reporter often moved by what I cover. I'm more of the cynic type, especially in this town. But sometimes it's hard not to look at something and say, "Wow. This is the future."
This week, the Solar Decathlon continues, with 20 teams from around the world -- though mostly just the United States and Europe -- competing to build the most attractive and efficient solar-powered house.
The houses have a futuristic, simplistic beauty to them, a mix of cutting-edge design and breathtaking technology -- some of the houses require less electricity than a standard hairdryer -- that fuses into something altogether different.
Remember, these houses are the size of trailers, that mobile testament to a white-trash kind of life. And, while the resident of those sad shacks have become known for wasteful, indulgent practices, these 650 sq. ft. homes do just the opposite.
I'm happy to report, after touring all but two of the homes, that I would opt to live in any of them given the choice. Standing in the living of the University of Darmstadt house, there is a palpable sense of moving forward, of finally fixing some of the country's energy woes that demand so much of our national attention.
And let me say that I'm not a reporter often moved by what I cover. I'm more of the cynic type, especially in this town. But sometimes it's hard not to look at something and say, "Wow. This is the future."
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