[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 163 (Thursday, October 25, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2241]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E2241]]


     RECOGNIZING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE CU SOLAR DECATHLON TEAM

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                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 25, 2007

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and 
honor the talented group of students who make up the 2007 University of 
Colorado Solar Decathlon team. These students participated in the 
Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon competition earlier this month.
  The Solar Decathlon is a competition organized by the Department of 
Energy that gives college students an opportunity to demonstrate 
practical uses of solar power. This October, 20 university teams from 
around the country and the world competed in the third Solar Decathlon 
to build the most energy-efficient, solar-powered house. Each team was 
required to use solar energy to power the entire house, and was judged 
on how well its house was able to produce energy for heating, cooling, 
hot water, lighting, appliances, computers, and charging an electric 
car. The houses were also critiqued on their overall aesthetic design.
  The University of Colorado team designed a fully livable 700 square 
foot house for the competition and will complete the house with an 
addition of 1400 square feet with 3 additional bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a 
breakfast nook, and additional living space. As I toured this 
remarkable house on the Mall this past week, I was impressed by its 
modem functionality and the sustainable sources from which it was 
constructed. I was also impressed with the intelligence and curiosity 
of the team members that gave me the tour--these students will be among 
the leaders of engineers and architects guiding our next generation in 
renewable energy use and production.
  This team follows in a strong tradition of entrants from the 
University of Colorado, which took first overall in the previous two 
competitions. I want to recognize and congratulate Chad Corbin and 
Professor Michael J. Brandemuehl, the student and faculty leaders that 
spearheaded this project, in addition to the many other undergraduate 
and graduate architecture, engineering, and business students at CU who 
helped design and build this house. Xcel Energy has already purchased 
this astonishing house to use as a permanent facility for research, 
education, and outreach for sustainable living once the competition is 
over.
  These enterprising students from the University of Colorado had a 
challenge--to take advanced architectural and engineering concepts, put 
them together in a design, and build a house that could be a model of 
our energy future. These students met that challenge--and I'm proud of 
these students and I'm proud that the University of Colorado produced 
such a talented team. Most of all, I am proud to represent these young 
people who are working so hard to make our way of life a sustainable 
one.

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