德國的達姆斯塔特工業大學，獲得美國能源部門在華盛頓國家廣場舉辦的太陽能10項競賽之最高榮譽。大學代表隊分別在10種領域競賽，範圍從建築結構、居住性能、舒適性，到房屋在空間的加熱與冷卻系統、熱水、照明、及各項設備的表現上。
在過去2週，20個來自美國、波多黎各、西班牙、德國、及加拿大的大學團隊，將其花費2年時間設計、建造、運作、最引人注目且最能有效利用能源的太陽能房屋，帶來參賽。
太陽能10項全能房屋是淨-零-秏能，完全不生產碳，包含最新高科技解決辦法、及對消費者而言有更省錢的好處，且不犧牲舒適、便利，及美學上的功能。
房屋中的每項能源設備皆使用太陽能，且尚有剩餘足夠的能源來啟動電池動力車。所有隊伍都花費超過2年的時間設計、建造及測試房屋，並帶至太陽能10項競賽參賽。
達姆斯塔特贏得建築結構、照明設備、及工程學的競賽。建築結構評審團說明此房屋符合所有要求的條件，且是他們在評比此次10項競賽中所希望看到的房屋形式。建築師的評定是依據進出房屋動線，及公共與私入區域的通風舒適與否；建築策略上能使運轉房屋容納所有的科技設備；並且還有足夠的空間支撐房屋強度結構、合適的材料在建物之中。
照明評審團喜歡此房屋在晚上發光的房型。工程學評審團為這個團隊加上「創新」的一分，並指出沒有人可以將光生電壓式電池系統發揮得如此淋漓盡致。該校校長波蒙(Hans Juergen Proemel)指出：「我們的隊伍在這次國際競賽中的勝利，使我非常高興，突顯了德國在談到可再生能源上，是遍及全球的領導者。」
Germany's Technische Universität Darmstadt took top honors in the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon competition on the National Mall in Washington. University teams competed in 10 areas, ranging from architecture, livability and comfort to how well the homes provided energy for space heating and cooling, hot water, lighting, and appliances.
Over the past two weeks, 20 university teams from the United States, Puerto Rico, Spain, Germany, and Canada brought homes that took two years to design, build and operate the most attractive and energy efficient solar powered home.
The Solar Decathlon's homes are net-zero-energy, yield zero carbon, and include the latest high-tech solutions and money-saving benefits to consumers, without sacrificing comfort, convenience, and aesthetics.
Solar power is used to run everything in the houses, with enough power left over to run an electric car. The teams worked for more than two years designing, building and testing their homes to bring them to the Solar Decathlon.
Darmstadt won the architecture, lighting, and engineering contests. The architecture jury said the house pushed the envelope on all levels and is the type of house they came to the decathlon hoping to see. The architects judged homes on ease of entry into the house and circulation among the public and private areas; architectural strategy used to accommodate the technologies required to run the house; and generosity and sufficiency of space in the house as well as the house's strength, suitability and appropriateness of materials in the building.
The lighting jury loved the way this house glows at night. The engineering jury gave this team an innovation score that was as high as you could go, and said nobody did the integration of the photovoltaic system any better.
"The victory of our team in this international competition makes me extraordinarily happy," said university President Hans Juergen Proemel. "It underlines that Germany is the worldwide leader when it comes to renewable energies."
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
