[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9254]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          2011 SOLAR DECATHLON

  (Ms. HIRONO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I recently met a team from the University of 
Hawaii, one of 20 collegiate teams selected to build an energy 
efficient, solar-powered house as part of the Solar Decathlon, an 
international competition sponsored by the Department of Energy.
  In the fall of 2011, the D.C. National Mall will transform into a 
zero-emission solar village built by the next generation of architects 
and engineers. These houses will be attractive and affordable, 
demonstrating an array of innovative, energy technologies.
  Designed for a tropical climate, the Hawaii model will be built using 
a bio-based polymer and the house will be buoyant enough to float in 
the event of a flood. A new generation of leaders in the clean-energy 
economy will emerge from programs like these, and I look forward to 
walking through the solar village next year.
  The Solar Decathlon is one example of harnessing American ingenuity 
to meet the energy challenges of the 21st century. Let us continue to 
support programs like these that empower a new generation of thinkers 
to engineer a clean-energy future.

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