Every 2 years, the U.S. Department of Energy hosts the Solar Decathalon in Washington D.C. It’s an international event where 20 different collegiate teams compete to see who can build the coolest, most energy-efficient, most stylish solar-powered home. As you can imagine, the students who take part are really inventive and creative, and the competition always boasts spectacular projects.

The New York Times already featured one team’s house, called the Empowerhouse, a ”shoebox-shaped mystery building.

The structure was put together in New Jersey by a team of students from the area using a combination of architecture, design, and green technology. The coolest thing? The house not only looks good, but it produces as much electricity as it uses every year – so a zero-emissions home.

But Empowerhouse is just one of the interesting designs being featured at this year’s Solar Decathalon competition. You can check out all the latest pictures and news, including news of the big winner when the competition ends, here.

May the best house win!