WASHINGTON – Getting college kids to do their laundry is a miracle in itself. But these students are going above and beyond.

This year, a team of engineering students from the University of Maryland entered their design for an energy-saving clothes dryer in the nationwide Max Tech and Beyond competition – and won.

The ultra-efficient two-stage heat pump clothes dryer can cut electricity use up to 46 percent, the university says in a statement.

The students spent extra lab hours and weekends working on the prototype, according to team advisor Yunho Hwang, who added that they were “really interested in improving energy efficiency, more than just taking a class.”

The team will take their design to the Solar Decathlon in California next month.

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