I would like to take a moment to recognize the extraordinary efforts of one of the universities in my home state of California – Santa Clara University.

Twenty-eight SCU students are here in Washington this week to compete in the Solar Decathlon to build the most livable and energy efficient solar-powered house.

As one of only 20 university teams world-wide chosen by the U.S. Department of Energy to participate, the SCU team is making tremendous strides both on the Mall and in California to lead the charge in sustainable living. They are setting a fantastic example for youth throughout the nation, and for future generations, in how we can work to save energy and reduce global warming pollution.

The SCU students have studied the innovative problem solving methods that are a staple of Silicon Valley and have incorporated those approaches in their work. They have gone above and beyond to demonstrate that people can have affordable, beautiful, functional housing that also saves energy, protects our environment and reduces pollution.

In June, the SCU team started building their solar-powered home and then transported it across the country last month. Their state of the art “green” home is fully equipped with bamboo I-beams, developed by the SCU engineering team, retractable walls, “smart” windows and solar thermal panels, in addition to generating its own solar electricity. The solutions to our environmental challenges lie in new technologies like these.

Buildings are responsible for 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. This means that taking the steps to make our homes more efficient will ensure a better, greener future for generations to come. Building energy efficient homes and buildings, increasing our use of solar power and expanding the use of clean, renewable energy sources are some of the best ways to reduce the pollution that causes global warming.

I want to again commend the students of Santa Clara University for making the trip to Washington and for their efforts to blaze the trail for a better, cleaner environment.