Sometimes… It Takes A Village.

From October 12th through October 20th, the BP Solar Decathlon will be held on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The Solar Decathlon consists of 20 different college and university teams that compete to design, build and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered house.

Just like any other decathlon, the BP Solar Decathlon consists of ten different contests. Participants will be scored on architecture, engineering, market viability, communications, comfort zone, appliances, hot water, lighting, energy balance, and getting around. To compete, each home must be powered exclusively by the sun, and must be attactive and easy to live in. Needless to say, the event

As part of their commitment to discovering cost effective, clean energy solutions for everyday living, BP has sponsored the Solar Decathlon as one of their main corporate sponsors since 2002. This year, BP has put together the BP Solar Decathlon Blog, where the teams will write posts and update us all on their progress throughout the competition.

The Solar Decathlon Blog has information and photos from all the teams, as well as more information on alternative energy resources. Contrary to popular belief, BP invests millions of dollars every year in alternative energy solutions, including solar technology, wind farms, and researching new bioscience solutions that would reduce the impact of energy consumptions on the environment.

I am pulling for the team from Georgia Institute of Technology. If I lived in the Washington, D.C. area, I would definitely be down on the National Mall checking out the solar village next week.