Solar Decathlon: The Competition For The Best Solar-Powered House (PHOTOS)

University teams from around the world are busy constructing sustainable houses at this year's U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon competition. 20 teams were selected to come to the National Mall in Washington D.C. to compete against one another in designing, building, and operating the best solar-powered, energy-efficient house. The houses are judged based on 10 competitions, which range in point value, from architecture to lighting design to comfort zone. Check out the houses we've featured and vote for which one you want to call home!

Team Cornell's Silo House

As the largest group on the Cornell University campus, with over 150 members, this is Team Cornell's third consecutive year in the competition. According to the Solar Decathlon website, the Silo house is a "modular structure with three interconnecting cylindrical rooms." Each of the rooms is 16 feet in diameter, with about 130 square feet of space. The Silo house is expected to generate more energy than it uses; or at the very least, it'll be a net-zero energy building. Construction costs: $450,000-$650,000.

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(Photos via Flickr: A. Siegel and Dept of Energy)

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