October 14, 2009 Written by Rochelle Bailis

California just pulled ahead in the Solar Decathlon, an event hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy in which 20 teams composed of university students “compete to design, build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar-powered house.” California’s Refract House is built from recycled and green materials, and exhibits exemplary use of solar power. Not to mention its sleek appearance, which helped the house pull ahead yesterday with a near perfect score for Architecture (98 out of 100), as well as and a strong score in Market Viability (92 out of 100). To follow the Solar Decathlon, which ends October 21st, see the official website.

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