BGE Gift to Support LEAFHouse

BGE has made a $5,000 donation to the UM Solar Decathlon team for the construction of LEAFHouse, the team’s entry into this year's contest.

LEAFHouse uses the Chesapeake Bay watershed as the inspiration for a smart, adaptable, resource-efficient home powered by renewable energy. "LEAF" stands for "leading everyone to an abundant future."

According to the team web site, "The name 'LEAFHouse' reflects our interest in the elegant marriage of biological knowledge and cutting-edge technology. The leaf in nature is a perfect machine for converting sunlight into energy."

This is the third time UM is a participant in the Solar Decathlon, organized by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Many Clark School students are on the team, which also has students from the schools of architecture, journalism and business.

The house can be viewed near the School of Architecture on the College Park campus while it is under construction. It will be on display on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., during the competition this fall.

Those interested in supporting the Solar Decathlon team should visit the team's web site.

To learn more about the Great Expectations campaign and how you can make a difference in the Clark School’s progress, please contact Steve Beeland.

Published July 19, 2007