The Solar Decathlon sponsored by the US Department of Energy kicked off this weekend in DC  and will run until October 20^th.  The 20 college teams must design and build a solar house that runs entirely on the sun during the competition   The homes are designed and built at their home campuses, disassembled and then reassembled in a solar village on the National Mall.  Each home is open to the public and during the week the homes are judged on 10 different categories that not only look at the engineering but also on comfort and livability. 

Having visited the solar village during the last competition in 2005 it is obvious that these teams were working not only to earn the recognition from winning the competition but are sincere in working towards building solutions for the environment for the long term.  Check out the homes from the 2005 competition.

The University of Colorado-Boulder has won the last two competitions which shouldn't be surprising considering the "hippie" nature of Boulder and the abundance of sunshine you find in Colorado.  This year the competition is international and besides teams from the US there are teams from Canada, Germany & Spain.

With today's emhasis on energy conservaration, carbon foot printing and recycling this event takes on more importance than it has in the past.  The solar decathlon is one way for everyone to take a look at how solar design can be built in to a new home.  Everyone today can contribute to helping the environment by taking a few inexpensive steps. 

Some of the changes are simple and only require a quick trip to the local hardware store.

Installing low-flow shower heads
Replacing old toilets with water saving models
Using composite lumber products to build decks, fences and roofs
Buying natural installation made from recycled blue jeans
Adding a programmable thermostat to your AC/Furnace
Lowering the temperature on your water heater (and when it is time to replace go tankless)
Compost your kitchen waste (no meat)
Recycle everything you can (glass, plastic, cardboard, paper)
Make your own cleaning supplies
Buy local

Some of these ideas only require that you think differently about what you throw in your trash can or down your garbage disposal.  Some are less than $100 to implement and others require you to think just a bit differently the next time you get ready of your next home improvement project.  None are rocket science and anyone can do them no matter where they live.

As you look around your home today think of just ONE THING you can do to help put our environment back on a healing path.  We can't keep going the direction we are.  If we do the generation that is working so hard to create the homes we see at this years Solar Decathlon won't have a chance to make the next generation home a reality.