2007 Solar decathalon teams announced

Twenty teams have been selected to compete in the 2007 Solar Decathlon. Each selected team will be awarded $100,000 over two years to support the Solar Decathlon's research goal of reducing the cost of solar-powered homes and advancing solar technology.

Two Texas Schools included: Texas A&M and University of Texas

The teams selected for the competition will be awarded $100,000 over two years to support the Solar Decathlon's research goal of reducing the cost of solar-powered homes and advancing solar technology.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a U. S. Department of Energy Laboratory, issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to accredited colleges, universities, and other post-secondary educational institutions on Oct. 6, 2005.

A Green Dream in Texas

From the New York TImes
January 18, 2006
Op-Ed Columnist

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Richardson, Tex.

..."Texas Instruments, which is building a "green" chip factory here in Richardson, near Dallas. T.I. is keeping 1,000 high-tech jobs in Texas by building its newest facility - to make wafers used in semiconductors - in a cost-saving, hyper-efficient green manner. "

"Green building is not necessarily about producing your own power with windmills and solar panels. It's about addressing the consumption side with really creative design and engineering to eliminate waste and reduce energy usage - it's the next industrial revolution," said Paul Westbrook, who oversees sustainable design for T.I. and helped turn T.I. leaders on to green building by taking them to his solar-powered home. "Green building added some cost, but over all we built a green building for 30 percent less per square foot than our previous conventional facility." This is expected to cut utility costs by 20 percent and water usage by 35 percent.....

So hats off to the leaders of T.I. Thanks to their vision, Dallas - not China - has the newest T.I. wafer plant, a new investment in education and a great example of how a green factory can be efficient and profitable and can create good American jobs in the 21st century.

Energy guzzling is for defeatists. Real Americans - and real Texans - build green"

Library of Congress: Thomas

Good tool to research bills to be passed and how they may affect you. Pretty straightforward and easy to use.
"Library of Congress: Thomas"

Green Furniture

Even Furniture can be designed with "green-age" in mind.
+ 1st image: solar decathalon 2005, madrid university.
+ 2nd image: A&W design group from china
(click on picture to link to respective websites)