This week, a Reuters report focused on the "Zerow House," which is Rice University's entry in the event. According to the wire service, students developed this structure to highlight how investments in solar energy can be affordable.
The article noted that the home, said to be about the size of an efficiency apartment, could be built in the Houston area for as little as $100,000 and that students plan to donate it to a local low-income family after the Decathlon.
A number of other universities are also gearing for their own entries in the contest, with the houses set to be on display on Washington's National Mall before long.
This year's contest comes at a time when homeowners are finding out that investments in solar power can pay off faster than ever with help from government tax credits and photovoltaic panels that are becoming less expensive than ever.
