Sponsors Rally Support for Solar Decathlon 2015
Friday, August 21, 2015By Carol Laurie
The sponsors of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 have a lot in common. They’re not only impressive organizations but also care about education, workforce development, and clean energy solutions.
“Wells Fargo is proud to be a sustaining sponsor for Solar Decathlon 2015, an event that aligns closely with our overall environmental commitment,” says Ashley Grosh, vice president, environmental affairs, Wells Fargo. “We congratulate everyone who is involved with this amazing student competition and appreciate their commitment to helping develop America’s clean technology infrastructure.”
In addition to supporting the Solar Decathlon’s mission, our sponsors have fulfilled a variety of event needs.
“Support from our generous sponsors is crucial to the success of the Solar Decathlon and the experience of thousands of student decathletes,” says Richard King, director of the Solar Decathlon. “While we recognize our sponsors in a variety of ways, we cannot thank them enough for their dedication to everything that this amazing competition stands for.”
Sponsors help ensure the success of the Solar Decathlon for thousands of student decathletes and visitors. Here, Sustaining Sponsors cut the ribbon to open the Solar Decathlon 2013 village to visitors. (Credit: Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon)
As of the end of July, the following sponsors have stepped up to support the Solar Decathlon.
Sustaining Sponsors
- Edison International is the competition’s host utility sponsor, providing a temporary interconnection between Southern California Edison’s electric grid and the Solar Decathlon village microgrid, as well as much of the event’s infrastructure and furnishings.
- Schneider Electric is providing the engineering design and supplemental equipment for the Solar Decathlon village microgrid. The company is also supplying the engineering design, hardware, software, and operation of the electrical microgrid monitoring system.
- Wells Fargo is providing funds to meet several critical needs of the Solar Decathlon, including printing of the event Visitors Guide. The company is also partnering with Electrolux and Pella Corp. to sponsor Education Days and the Solar Decathlon 2015 Opening Reception.
Supporting Sponsors
- Electrolux has partnered with Pella Corp. and Wells Fargo to sponsor Education Days programming, school bus grants, and the Solar Decathlon 2015 Opening Reception. This is the fourth U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon that Electrolux has sponsored.
- Irvine Ranch Water District is a supporter of projects such as the Solar Decathlon that promote sustainability and water conservation practices. Irvine Ranch Water District will provide drinking water to Solar Decathlon village visitors as well as water service delivery and removal from the teams’ competition houses.
- Pella Corp. is partnering with Electrolux and Wells Fargo to sponsor Education Days programming, school bus grants, and the Solar Decathlon 2015 Opening Reception. Pella Corp.’s sponsorship of the Solar Decathlon is just one part of the company’s commitment to education and environmental sustainability for its team members, its customers, and the communities in which Pella operates.
- Tierra Verde Industries is providing waste management and recycling services for the Solar Decathlon. This is the second time that this green waste, wood waste, and construction and demolition materials recycler has supported the Solar Decathlon.
Contributing Sponsors
- ASHRAE is providing meals to Solar Decathlon 2015 student decathletes and jurors as well as other support for the event.
- DMc Engineering provided layout and configuration of the Solar Decathlon village and other technical services to Solar Decathlon 2015.
- The Home Depot is offering discounts on construction materials to student teams, donating tools and safety equipment to event organizers, and encouraging its customers to visit the Solar Decathlon by displaying outreach materials in its retail locations.
- MicroPlanet is providing services to ensure that the Solar Decathlon 2015 village microgrid provides consistent, optimized voltage to each competing team and to ensure that the energy generated by each team’s PV installation is integrated smoothly back onto the microgrid.
- National Association of Home Builders is providing building-industry outreach for Solar Decathlon 2015 as well as a meal for student decathletes.
- The Orange County Register is publishing a special insert devoted to the Solar Decathlon as part of its role as the Solar Decathlon print media sponsor.
- Orange County Transportation Authority is providing shuttle service from Irvine Station to the Solar Decathlon village, thanks to funding provided through a Clean Transportation grant from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee.
- OxBlue is providing a time-lapse camera system that will transmit images from the Solar Decathlon village to the Solar Decathlon website for fans everywhere.
- Resource Furniture is providing food for the team Victory Celebration.
Resource and Association Sponsors
- American Institute of Architects Orange County
- American Institute of Architects
- ARCOM
- American Society of Landscape Architects, Southern California Chapter
- Autodesk
- Construction Specifications Institute
- Doctor’s Ambulance Service
- International Code Council
- National Fire Protection Association
- National Institute of Building Sciences
- RSMeans
- U.S. Green Building Council Orange County, Los Angeles, and San Diego Chapters
Carol Laurie is the communications manager of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.