College students built this $250,000 home that has a hydroponic farm and indoor greenhouse
University of Maryland/Department of Energy
A new solar-powered home that grows leafy greens indoors skips most of those steps. The home, created by a team of graduate students from the University of Maryland, features a wall that uses an agricultural technique called hydroponic farming. That means that produce grows in nutrient-rich water rather than traditional soil.
Called ReACT, the home also features an enclosed patio, which can be turned into a climate-controlled greenhouse that can grow more crops, including veggies, fruits, and herbs.
ReACT won second place in this years Solar Decathlon, a biannual competition organized by the US Department of Energy that searches for eco-friendly housing prototypes from college students around the world. There were 12 university teams in this year's competition.
Though the Maryland team doesn't have any immediate plans to produce more homes, the team told Business Insider that the ReACt would likely sell for between $250,000 and $300,000.
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