Rice Solar Competition

The Houston Business Journal picked up this story yesterday, and while we're over-joyed, we can't say that we're all that surprised. We knew those Rice kids were up to something sustainable.

A team of Rice students lead by Roque Sanchez and David Dewane have won $100,000 and permission to compete in the US Department of Energy's fourth Solar Decathlon in Washington D.C. Rice will be joined by a number of other schools and each team competing in the decathlon will build a working prototype of their design on the Mall in D.C. with the available funds.

Though nothing has been specified yet you can expect the project to feature progressive energy-efficient technology and design strategies. But the green doesn't stop there. The entry will be developed in conjunction with the Rice Building Workshop as a prototype for Project Row Houses, a Houston neighborhood art and cultural organization in the Third Ward.

"Our goal is not only to win the competition but to make a house that is easily replicable and fits in the Houston community," said Roque Sanchez, an engineering student and one of three team leaders.

Seriously! Go kick some low-income-sustainable tuckass!

For more info on the decathlon visit the DOE website, and Rice Project Row Houses can be reached here.