- Home
- MN/Region
- World/Nation
- Politics
- Health/Science
- Business
- Arts
- Posts
- Sports
- Community Voices
- MN Jobs

MinnPost thanks these major sponsors:
Sponsor of
Second Opinion
Sponsor of
Community Voices
Sponsor of
Community Sketchbook

MinnPost thanks these generous donors of $25,000 or more:
MAJOR FOUNDATIONS
John S. and James L.
Knight Foundation
Blandin Foundation
McKnight Foundation
Minneapolis Foundation
Otto Bremer Foundation
INDIVIDUALS & FAMILY FOUNDATIONS
Sage & John Cowles
David & Vicki Cox
Toby & Mae Dayton
Sam & Stacey Heins
Joel & Laurie Kramer
Lee Lynch & Terry Saario
Martin & Brown
Foundation
(See all donors here.)
By Sharon Schmickle | Published Thu, Sep 17 2009 8:14 am

In Norse mythology, the sun races so fast across the sky because a wolf is chasing Sól, the sun goddess, and trying to eat her. That wolf must be famished right now; the chase ends earlier every day.
The fleeting winter sun in the North Star State was part of the challenge the University of Minnesota tackled when it put together its first-ever entry in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition.
The entry, a completely solar powered house, opened for public viewing this week on the St. Paul campus on the north side of Buford Place just east of Gortner Ave. You still can see it Thursday and Friday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Because the winter sun in the Twin Cities rises only 54 degrees above the horizon, designers had to pull the ridge of the roof north, thereby expanding the surface area on the southern side for maximum efficiency of photovoltaic and solar thermal panels.
The 800-square-foot home was built to be broken down into pieces so it can be reconstructed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., where 20 teams of college and university students will compete from Oct. 9-18.
Like what you just read? Support high-quality journalism in Minnesota by becoming a member of MinnPost.
1 Comment: Hide/Show Comment
Forgot Password? | Register to Comment
MinnPost does not permit the use of foul language, personal attacks or the use of language that may be libelous or interpreted as inciting hate or sexual harassment. User comments are reviewed by moderators to ensure that comments meet these standards and adhere to MinnPost's terms of use and privacy policy.
We intend for this area to be used by our readers as a place for civil, thought-provoking and high-quality public discussion. In order to achieve this, MinnPost requires that all commenters register and post comments with their actual names and place of residence. Register here to comment.