MURFREESBORO (AP) — Students from Middle Tennessee State University and Vanderbilt University are designing a solar-powered house that will one day become home to a low-income family. But first, they hope to win the U.S. Department of Energy's 2015 Solar Decathlon.

According to MTSU, the decathlon challenges college students to design and build solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive. Team Tennessee is one of 18 teams that will spend almost two years creating a 600- to 1,000-square-foot home. In fall 2015, the homes will be judged in 10 contests to determine the winner.

After the competition, the Team Tennessee home will house a family through Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville.