The team impressed jurors with their communication strategies to convey the technical aspects of generating solar energy, winning the second of 10 contests that comprise the Solar Decathlon competition.

The competition involves 20 university-led teams from the United States, Canada, Germany, and Spain. The teams compete to design, build and operate the most attractive, functional, and energy efficient solar-powered home.

"Communicating the benefits of new reliable and efficient technologies is an important step in commercializing the products we see being used on the (National) Mall this week," Assistant U.S. Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Andy Karsner said. "Winning this contest not only demonstrates a team's ability to build and maintain a solar powered home, but the capability to tell the world that we all can do the same.�

The University of Maryland scored 98.2 points of a possible 100 in the contest. Santa Clara University finished second with 92.45 points, with Pennsylvania State University finishing third with 90.4 points.

The Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, won the architecture contest earlier this week.