Bp Solar Decathlon

I have been very interested in alternative energy for years, especially since the state of New York has offered tax incentives for their construction and use. I have looked into a few options in the past with solar being the most recent. Friend’s of ours in Black Lake will be putting a solar panel array on their house soon. We looked at windmills first before we examined solar options. Windmills were not practical for us.

Not only is power too expensive in this neck of the woods, but with global warming a concern at the top of everyone’s mind these days, it is an environmentally sound practice to look at alternatives.

BP has partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy to sponsor the BP Solar Decathlon. This is an event in which 20 university teams from all over the world, build and operate solar powered homes. We need to see more energy companies getting involved in these alternative research areas as we are running out of time. An event like this publicizes this need and gives us hope that companies are moving in this direction.

Meet the Decathlon teams on BP’s blog and learn more about solar energy here as well. You can vote for your favorite solar home and keep up with the projects as they develop. I’ll be keeping an eye on our very own Cornell University which has a team entered.