The Solar Decathalon, a 10-criteria (it’s a little bit of a stretch to decathalon, but that’s okay) judging contest, just completed this year’s competition, and there are some incredible works here. I love that each group used its hometown aesthetic.

Student groups from around the world (and several from the States) competed to create a net zero-energy, 800-square-foot house powered exclusively by solar energy, and came up with some great ideas. The house pictured above was created by the team from Cornell University in upstate New York, using silos to reflect the bucolic look of that area. Other teams experimented with automatic shutoffs for TVs and lights or sophisticated purification of shower and rainwater. The winner will be announced this coming Friday, and you can check out the current standings here. [CNET]