Where solar reigns.

• Position: Statewide: WESTERN REGION

It's no palace, but this summer 34 Appalachian State University students assembled a 1,200-square-foot solar-powered house at Versailles, where Louis XIV--the Sun King of France --had his royal residence. The students are entered in an international contest to design and build a solar-powered house that is affordable, attractive and energy-efficient. The annual Solar Decathlon, started in 2002 as a U.S. Department of Energy initiative, alternates between the U.S. and Europe each year. About 50 students, along with students from a partner school in France, designed and built Maison Reciprocity to generate as much energy as it uses. It was constructed in Boone, disassembled...