Solar Decathlon; 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport; BMW Electric Scooter; Massachusetts Mulls TV Efficiency Rules; LED Bulb Price Drop

Solar Decathlon seeks best sun-powered homes The Solar Decathlon, a biennial event, puts modular, solar-powered homes through 10 tests to determine which is the new sun king. Over the course of a week, teams of students from Canada, Germany, Spain and the United States will take part in competitions judging the houses they designed and built for everything from aesthetics to engineering to whether the water heating system can meet a couple’s hot water needs. (Be sure to check out Twilight Earth’s visit to the Decathalon)

First Drive: 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport Whatever the reason, when we recently got to take an Obsidian Black model out for a few hours, we couldn’t help but notice how incredibly punchy the Sport is, whether bursting away from a stoplight or accelerating to pass on the highway. Sometimes we even slowed down a bit on the highway just to feel the seamless thrust of getting back up to speed.

BMW electric scooter Almost a decade after it’s initial failed entry into scooterville, BMW is showing off a prototype of an updated version of the scooter, complete with a roll bar. The intention of the C1-E is a safe, environmentally friendly and practical vehicle.

Massachusetts Mulls TV Efficiency Rules Massachusetts is considering adopting energy-efficiency requirements for televisions, becoming the only state — besides California — weighing such a move. On Wednesday, the Joint Committee for Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy of the Massachusetts legislature heard testimony on a bill that would create efficiency standards for seven products, including DVD players and electric spas — though televisions are the most controversial.

LED Bulbs Dropped in Price by 50% Electronics regularly drop in price at a rapid rate, but a drop like that is somewhat rare. Volume manufacturing can explain some of it, but there are also other reasons afoot. One, governments are phasing out incandescents. Second, competition.