Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, with a backdrop of Team California’s Refract House, cuts the ribbon to the Solar Village, kicking off the 2009 Solar Decathlon competition. Twenty teams are competing this year with houses of about 800 square feet operating entirely from the power of the mid-October sun on the Capital Mall in Washington, D.C. Opening on October 8 and lasting through October 18, 20 teams of university students from around the world compete in 10 events, including architectural design. The AIA has cosponsored the event, conducted by the U.S. DOE, since its inception in 2002. For an up-to-the-minute report on this year’s competition, visit the Solar Decathlon Web site.