Tom Maderick, an undergraduate architecture student and a member of the UNLV Solar Decathlon team, Team Las Vegas, found inspiration in the project's theme of "going green" and made a clock out of burnt scrap pieces of wood. It's not just any clock though, it's a clock in the shape of the Team Las Vegas logo: a sun with a Mojave tree shadow.

Tom used burnt scrap from LDL framing materials to create his clock design.

"The DesertSol clock embodies the spirit of Team Las Vegas and sustainability by repurposing material that was once thought of as waste," Maderick said.

His clock will be placed inside of the Team Las Vegas solar-powered prototype home, DesertSol, after the house is constructed. Just like the house, the clock will serve as a reminder to the importance of repurposing materials and how one can make re-purposed materials look attractive.

About the Solar Decathlon

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013 is an international competition with the goal of educating the public about energy-saving residential designs. In this award-winning program, collegiate teams design, build, and maintain sustainable solar-powered houses. These are student-run projects, with the guidance and support from faculty members, industry mentors and community supporters.